AV 01st August 2020

FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE

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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

1 - 7 AUGUST 2020 - VOL 49 ISSUE 14

ASIAN BUSINESSES FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE

inside: Temples getting ready for Janmashtami festival with social distancing SEE PAGE - 6

Banquets & catering services fear second wave of coronavirus will ‘destroy them fully’ SEE PAGE - 14

Mothers say the outcome of honest conversations is far reaching SEE PAGE - 16

Priyanka Mehta

On Tuesday 28th July, Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged that a second wave of Covid-19 had ensued across Europe heightening concerns about a second lockdown in the UK. Restrictions remain in Asian-dominated county Leicester along with industrial towns such as Luton and Blackburn. Yet, the Government appears keen to revive the economy especially a shattered hospitality sector. But are businesses prepared to go back to work?

“The curry industry is struggling despite Government’s numerous schemes. High rent, changes in the recent congestion charges in the city of London and customers wary off catching infection

despite implementation of safety guidelines means 50% of these curry houses will not survive. If popular restaurants like the Darjeeling Express cannot cope with the pandemic then how can indigenous and independent curry houses? “I used to employ 14 people at my restaurant and now I have only six of them working for me. We are primarily doing takeaways because people are scared to dine in. And once the furlough scheme comes to an end, I don't know how we are going to fork out wages for our staff if the customer footfall continues to remain so low,” said Oli Khan, Vice President of Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA).

Continued on page 15

Raksha Bandhan – a celebration of brother- sister relationship SEE PAGE - 23

PM Modi to lay foundation for Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Aug 5 SEE PAGE - 26

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1 - 7 August 2020

with Keith Vaz

Sharma overrode official concerns and invested in a loss-making company

Dr. Neha Gokani Dr. Neha Gokani was born in Nakuru, Kenya and emigrated to the UK at the age of thirteen. She always had a passion for health care as growing up she watched her father who was a GP participate in many medical camps as a Lions Club member giving free medical care to those who were less fortunate.

Neha grew up in North West London and went to the University of Wales, College of Medicine (Cardiff), where she graduated as a Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 2004. She spent the early part of her career practising general dentistry across surgeries in West London. She now focuses on implant and cosmetic dentistry in both Northwood and Devonshire Place (London), where she handles a range of cases for varied age groups.

1

Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?

I would say London, but with a very strong attachment to Kenya where I spent my childhood. Kenya has strong ties to my family heritage and London is now where I live and thrive with all that it offers.

2

What are your proudest achievements?

Qualifying as a Dentist and progressing in my career with a focus on implants.

And now having the opportunity to work in the Harley Street area of London has to be the pinnacle of my career.

3

What inspires you?

transformed my dentistry and selfbelief, as she was always encouraging and supportive both professionally and personally. She is my mentor and it would be my honour to follow in her footsteps.

6

What is the best aspect about your current role?

The range of treatments I can offer from getting my patients out of pain, to improving their confidence and selfworth through cosmetic dentistry.

7

Too much administration and bureaucracy which can take away my time and focus from patient care.

My father Dr Amrat Hirji Gokani has always been my role model in multiple capacities, not only as a Doctor but also as a patriarch of the family and a valued member of the community.

8

4

9

What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

Progressing as an Asian woman in this highly competitive field has its own challenges, but it drives me to achieve more. I come across many inspirational colleagues and their outstanding work motivates me to continue developing my skills. I find that you never stop learning in this profession.

5

Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?

Dr. Teresa Day gave me an opportunity to work with her some years back, which

And the worst?

What are your long-term goals?

Continuing to develop my skills and interests in my field, whilst maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?

Better remuneration for low-paid workers in health and social care.

10

If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?

It would be my late grandfather, Shree Hirjibapa, who was a very well-known religious and spiritual pioneer in Kenya.

Unfortunately, he passed away five years before I was born, but I have heard such great things about him and would love to witness that first hand.

On 22nd July, Wednesday, it emerged that Alok Sharma overrode official concerns while the government took a £400m stake in the failed satellite company OneWeb. A senior official had warned the business secretary about a “high likelihood” that further taxpayer funding would be required to complete the company’s satellite constellation before it became a profitable business. The UK is part of a consortium with India’s Bharti Global which won a bidding war for the company. But the company went bankrupt earlier this year while trying to develop a space network to deliver broadband.

Sam Beckett, the acting permanent secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) had flagged up serious concerns about the “unusual” purchase which had “significant risks” in a letter sent initially in June. She said, “I completely understand your, the prime min-

people at the new Leicester factory and is expected to start producing clothes for its PrettyLittleThing and Nasty Gal brands by September.

There were several media reports which alleged that the workers were under-paid below their minimum wages, worked in unsanitary conditions without wearing protective masks to help stall the spread of Covid-19. Recently, there were unfounded claims that an outbreak in Covid-19 cases in Leicester was lined to the city’s garment district factories. In a statement to The Guardian, John Lyttle said, “We terminated two suppliers as previously announced because of documentation issues which breached our code of con-

duct. No evidence of [paying as little as] £3.50 per hour was found. Meanwhile the independent review will proceed at pace and if evidence of payment below minimum wage is found within any of our suppliers we would terminate those relationships.”

The company had formally launched an independent review of its UK supply chain led by Alison Levitt QC and axed two suppliers, Morefray and Revolution Clothing. Boohoo is expected to give an update on the review, including its terms of reference, this week. They have also hired an independent factory auditor, Verisio, which started conducting unannounced spot checks at the fashion firm’s UK suppliers and their subcontractors

ment would have a positive return”.

As well as the benefits of improved broadband access, the scheme could signal “UK ambition and influence on the global stage”. Investments in this company was part of a government campaign to make “high-risk, high-payoff” investments of the kind advocated by Dominic Cummings. Ministers hope it will compensate for the loss of access to the EU’s Galileo programme after Brexit. The UK and mobile operator Bharti are each investing $500m (£400m), with Britain acquiring a “significant equity stake” in the company.

Liberal Democrats Siobhan Benita quits from mayoral race On Monday 27th July, the Liberal Democrat's London mayoral candidate announced that she was withdrawing her candidacy from the election race.

Siobhan Benita was slated to run for the City Hall elections due in May. But the elections were postponed to April 2021 owing to Coronavirus pandemic.

Citing her commitment issues, she said,“The elections were delayed due to the

Boohoo acquires former car show-room in Leicester for new factory A major fashion chain which has been embroiled in controversial allegations around mistreatment of their staff have now announced plans to set up their own “model factory” to ensure workers are treated fairly.

According to The Guardian, Boohoo has bought a 1 hectare (2.5 acre) former car showroom in Leicester and will be transforming it into the new factory. The report stated that if the factory is not up and running by September, Boohoo will lease a temporary site in Leicester. In the meantime, the company is reportedly looking at opening another factory elsewhere in the UK. According to the cofounder Mahmud Kamani, the company will employ 250

ister’s and the chancellor’s interest in wider benefits such as the potential longterm geopolitical advantages for foreign policy and soft power that would come with sovereign ownership of a fleet of satellites.

Moreover, I do not underestimate the potential opportunity that this investment represents for UK interests globally.

“It would be the first megaconstellation operator, if it succeeds, and would have the potential to connect millions of people, in particular those in remote, rural locations without broadband access.

“While in one scenario we could get a 20% return, the central case is marginal and there are significant downside risks, including that venture capital investments of this sort can fail, with the consequence that all the value of the equity can be lost.”

But the business secretary insisted that “even with substantial haircuts to OneWeb’s base case financial projections the invest-

in May. Since the scandal, the auditor has been visiting the factories to ensure workers are given details of a confidential whistleblower hotline operated by Verisio.

Priti Patel, the home secretary, described the alleged working practices as “truly appalling”, and called on the National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate.

Boohoo has previously said it was “shocked and appalled by the recent allegations” and vowed to work to rebuild the reputation of textile manufacturing in Leicester. It buys 40% of its clothing in the UK, mostly in Leicester, with the rest coming from other countries such as Turkey, Morocco, China, Bangladesh and India.

Covid-19 pandemic and I am simply not able to commit to another full year of campaigning and very sadly have to announce that I won’t be able to contest for the election in 2021.

“But I would like to keep working on issues like tackling knife crime and battling racial discrimination that unfortunately still exists in London going forward in

some capacity.”

Liberal Democrats have already begun the process of finding a replacement for Siobhan and that the details on the selection of the new candidate will be announced in due course.

As part of her campaign Siobhan was advocating for the legalisation of cannabis, a transformation of the social housing especially for the homeless.Acting leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said he was "very sorry to see Siobhan stand down at this time, but she will continue to be a huge asset to our party".Benita is the second major candidate to leave the contest after independent candidate Rory Stewart stood down in early May.

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1 - 7 August 2020

Britain’s experiment with cross-cultural connections The news of British currency featuring ethnic minority figures for the first time, has been welcomed by the diaspora with open arms. Britain in the last few months have witnessed extreme social and political unrests due to the Black Lives Matter protests. Not just a social upheaval, there has many struggles with the minority, trying to establish the right to equality.

The UK Cabinet now has 4 Asian-origin ministers.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Home Secretary Priti Patel, Business Secretary Alok Sharma and Attorney General Suella Braverman.

Mr Sunak’s popularity has been noted to be more than the Prime Minister by a recent poll. BBC One is now celebrating adaptation of an Indian-origin author’s greatest book, but in a day to day life, the idea of equality in diversity is still a rare concept. After campaigners issued proposals to have influential BAME people appear on a set of coins, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering the move. Non-white individuals have never appeared on British coins or notes. He said that he was aware that racism existed in Britain, and he wanted that to change and for people to feel equal.

British-Jamaican Crimean War nurse Mary Seacole and Indian-origin World War II agent Noor Inayat Khan, one of only four women to have received the George Cross, are among those under consideration, along with the first Indian and Gurkha soldiers.Plans have been submitted to the Royal Mint, which is now being encouraged by the Treasury to draft proposals and designs for potential coins.The Banknotes of Colour campaign, led by former Conservative Party parliamentary candidate Zehra Zaidi, has been fighting for representation.

The Chancellor has previously expressed support for the anti-racist cause underlined by the Black Lives Matter protestors and has widely supported calls for changes in attitudes about race. Britain’s struggle with race has also been a result of the way it has looked at its past colonial subjects. Years have passed, countries have freed themselves of foreign clutches, but the perceptions have not changed much. The world has remained a white man’s burden, with many cultural biases or prejudices still prevalent. One of the most omitted subjects is lack of talking about Britain’s colonial history in school curriculum. Hence youngsters have taken up the task of doing that themselves. Even institutions like the India League, which was formed in 1916 as Home Rule League, is trying to educate Indian-origin youngsters about their historical past. They are also conducting a British Indian Census online in collaboration with the University of Oxford. This will culminate into a British Indian Report later this year, reflective of the true make-up of Britain's Indian diaspora and their concerns in 2020.

The Indian Journalists’ Association, which was formed on 29 May 1947 is organising a webinar with Bengal Heritage Foundation and British Council in August to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dwarkanath Tagore. Known as the ‘reflections and relevance of our shared history in the modern era’- it is meant to discuss the shared idea of heritage and culture, as nations try to foster a better UK-India relation in the post-colonial era. These are perhaps small steps, but actually giant leaps for nations who are embroiled in a love-hate relationship over last few centuries.

Kremlin snakes its way in Westminster It is an age-old story: one country trying to wield its power and influence into another. History recalls Britain has imposed its colonial education across the “third world countries” in the camouflage of “civilising” them.

Perhaps, the best illustration of Britain’s plunder of sovereign countries in the disguise of civilisation is the establishment of the East India Company (EIC) in British ruled India.

In 2015, eminent historian William Dalrymple best described EIC as following: “It was not the British government that seized India at the end of the 18th century, but a dangerously unregulated private company (EIC) headquartered in one small office, five windows wide, in London, and managed in India by an unstable sociopath – (Robert) Clive. The EIC ceased to be a conventional corporation and was transforming itself into an aggressive colonial power.”

History appears to repeat itself. Only now, Britain appears to on the other end of the stick with Russian oligarchs and bureaucrats snooping their way into British politics. A dossier disclosing allegations of Russian disinformation campaigns amidst large “donations” to fracture Brexit referendum should hardly perturb Britons.Soviet-origin Britons have contributed as much as £3mn to the Conservative Party. Donors include Alexander Temerko, a former Russian junior defence minister who has funded the constituency associations of leading Tory MPs, including the business secretary, Alok Sharma. Temerko has officially claimed that he does not support Brexit. However, a 2019 Reuters investigation reveals that he initially supported Boris’ campaign to take UK out of the EU and was pinning for Johnson to become the next Prime Minister. There have been other Russian Briton influencers “donating” millions of pounds to play tennis, or have dinner with leading Tory MPs including former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May. In 2015, it had emerged that the former British Prime Minister

from Labour Party, Tony Blair had also been offered a post to advise the then President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, hailing Blair as “Ukraine’s true friend” according to The Daily Telegraph. Following the Russia report, Blair has called for an investigation into the “Russian interference in Brexit” while insisting that it was “foolish” to believe Russia could have changed the consequence of the referendum.

In the meantime, in 2009 Alexander Lebedev bought the loss-making Evening Standard and eventually handing over the reins of the newspaper to his son Evgeny. Lebedev entered the realm of media after the collapse of the USSR and ever since he has remained a staunch defender of Vladimir Putin to the extent of supporting Russia’s annexation of Crimea. His close allyship with Johnson has been under scrutiny since 2018.

And Russian “interest” in the UK is not limited to media and politics. Businessmen from former Soviet countries control an array of assets across football clubs, oil and gas and multimillion-pound mansion. Roman Abramovich purchased the £140m Chelsea Football Club in 2003. But besides sport, the IsraeliRussian billionaire has an extensive property portfolio including a 15-bedroom mansion in the prestigious Kensington Palace Gardens, bought for £90m in 2011.But beyond the Russian money-laundering and political power struggle, the Russia report has highlighted what has been staring Britain in its face for over a decade now. The surge of inward investments from all countries including Qatar and China besides Russia. Foreign Direct Investment always propels economic growth in a country especially during financial crises and pandemics. But the percentage of such investments and the strings tied with these purses need to be regulated internally if Britain wants to prevent her democracy from being abused by sovereign powers. In the words of Hillary Clinton,“You can’t expect to keep snakes in your backyard and expect them to only bite your neighbours.”

Global cos queue up to invest in Reliance's Jio Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) became the first Indian company to hit a market valuation of $150 billion in the month of June 2020. When the attention of the whole world was focused around the pandemic, RIL emerged as a behemoth that had a lot happening. When many businesses face a bleak financial future ahead, RIL cobbled together a whole new enterprise very few had heard about, Jio Platforms. A platform enterprise that has gathered for itself investment interest from 14 different players like Facebook, Google, Qualcomm, Intel Corp, General Atlantic, KKR, TPG etc totalling all of £15.20 billion. Jio Platforms, a subsidiary of RIL, was established in November 2019, and has subsidiaries in the form of Jio Infocomm, Jio Mart, Jio Saavn, Radisys and Haptik. Jio Platforms houses all the digital businesses of RIL in a debt-free shell. A shell that can then monetise itself by selling out shares in its future, as planned by a foreveron-the-move RIL. Jio Platforms aims to emerge as the biggest Indian digital services company that combines the might of Jio Infocomm with its other digital assets, procured and put together into a family of assets over a period of time.

This digital-assets house married to Jio Mart, its e-commerce platform that aims to connect small retailers with consumers (that will cover grocery, electronics, fashion goods, eye care, pharma and more), married once again to a little bit of the ability of Facebook and Whatsapp, and the final game plan seems to emerge. A game plan for the future as a vision by the current set of 14 investors. RIL, its Jio Platforms and its efforts with Reliance Retail are all clear-cut examples of how businesses

are made resilient to withstand new times, new needs, new wants, and the completely new pressures that govern consumer markets. Mukesh Ambani might as well have rested on the profits of the businesses handed over to him in the early days after the passing of Dhirubhai Ambani. It was still a big business.

Mukesh Ambani kept on inventing and reinventing the game.

Many wondered whether there was any method to the madness around. Disparate moves, a deep debt-book and sub-optimal results in many businesses (retail included) seemed to paint a fuzzy picture of the future. And then came the pandemic. The monetisation of Jio Platforms with 14 marquee investors.

Diverse sets of investors- private equity players, digital biggies such as Google and Facebook, back-end logistics players and sovereign wealth funds included. And everything seems to have changed. There is certainly a time to build businesses, and a time to monetise them. Mukesh Ambani seems to have mastered this science to perfection. At this point of time, RIL is the classic example of a business that has forever been on the ball of consumer action. The company now has three basic platforms: The energy platform, the retail platform and now the digital platform most aptly named Jio Platforms.

Here is a company then, poised to leverage the future. A company that is making politically correct noises as well. Think of Mukesh Ambani’s speech at the 43rd virtual AGM last week: India’s largest and most profitable business. Made in India. With farmer-partnerships and partnerships with SMEs, merchants, vendors and start-ups of Indian origin.

If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door- or i'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present. ― Rabindranath Tagore

Alpesh Patel

Make Men Share Housework Below is what I wish the Indian and British Ambassadors to the UN had said this week. They didn’t. But I believe they do believe in the sentiment.

Mr President, India and UK consider the actions of the Government of China in killing Uighur to be an act of war upon humanity and as a member of the family of nations, India and the UK shall act to defend the citizens of China and considers itself as of now formally in a state of full sanctions upon the nation of China.

You can imagine what a bitter blow it is to us that all our long struggle to win peace has failed.

Yet we cannot believe that there is anything more or anything different I could have done and that would have been more successful.

Up to the very last it would have been quite possible to have arranged a peaceful and honourable settlement between China and its people, but Xi would not have it.

He had evidently made up his mind to attack whatever happened; and although he now says he has there are no issues, that is not a true statement.

The facts were never shown; and although they were announced in a broadcast, Xi ordered his troops to cross the villages and hold captive Muslims for ‘retraining’.

His actions show convincingly that there is no chance of expecting that this man will ever give up his practice of using force to gain his will. He can only be stopped by force.

We are today, in fulfilment of our obligations, going to the aid of China’s citizens, who are so bravely resisting this wicked and unprovoked attack on her people. We have a clear conscience.

We have done all that any country could do to establish peace. The situation in which no word given to China’s ruling Communist Party could be trusted and no people or country could feel themselves safe has become intolerable.

And now that we have resolved to finish it, I know that you will play your part with calmness and courage.

At such a moment as this the assurances of support that we have received from the Commonwealth are a source of profound encouragement to us.

Our Governments have made plans under which it will be possible to carry on the work of the nation in the days of stress and strain that may be ahead. But these plans need your help.

Now may God bless you all. May He defend the right. It is the evil things that we shall be fighting against – brute force, bad faith, injustice, oppression and persecution – and against them I am certain that the right will prevail."

Actually, the UK and Indian Ambassadors to the UN did not say the above. No, the British PM said it. He said it in 1939 when Britain declared war on Germany for acts of genocide.

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Bradford University's Professor Patel appointed as faculty at UNESCO

Two-year-old needs an Asian stem cell donor to live A two-year-old toddler has been diagnosed with a rare immunodeficiency disease and needs an Asian stem cell donor to live.

Shahera Khan from Croydon, South West London, has a fault in her immune system whereby she is unable to produce enough white blood cells making her susceptible to infections.

Her mother says she is currently taking medication for protection against serious bacterial infections and undergoes immunoglobulin transfusions every week. Amina said, “At the moment she is doing okay but she’s getting side effects from the medication. We need to find Shahera a donor as soon as possible. We want to raise awareness in the Asian, and particularly Bangladeshi, community so people come forward not only to help our daughter but for anyone who needs a donor. It’s shocking that there is no match for her and other people from Asian communities.

“With Shahera’s condition the doctors would like to do the transplant as soon as possible. They’ve given us a couple of months to find a donor and suggested spring or summer next year for the transplant.”

The family have been told a stem cell transplant is her best chance of leading a normal life. Doctors will give her new, healthy stem cells via the bloodstream, where they begin to grow and create healthy red blood cells,

white blood cells and platelets. But Shahera needs a stem cell donor.

Nobody in her family is a genetic match, so the family is working with blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan to raise awareness of the stem cell donor register. Amina said, “We don’t want her to miss out on anything. She should be starting nursery this year September, but we don’t know what will happen because of her treatment.

“We’re a happy family unit. My husband and I both work and we slot Shahera’s appointments in around family life. It’s nerve wracking and upsetting, waiting to find a donor. It feels like a long process. It’s not easy, we have our bad days as well as good days, but all we can do is look forward, and do everything we can to find Shahera a donor.”

Currently patients, like Shahera, from a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background have a 20% chance of finding the best possible stem cell donor match, compared to 69% for people with white, European heritage. Sarah Rogers, Register Development Manager at Anthony Nolan said, “Little Shahera wants to go to nursery, learn and make more friends just like other toddlers olds across the UK. For this to happen she needs a stranger to donate their stem cells.

Shahera Khan

“If you’re aged 16-30 you can join the register online and we’ll send you a cheek swab in the post. If you’re found to be a match for a patient, you could donate your stem cells and give hope to families like Shahera’s. Your support could help us give a patient, their family and their friends a second chance of life.”

Anthony Nolan is the charity that finds matching donors for people with blood cancer – and gives them a second chance of life. People aged 16-30 who are in good general health can find out more, and join the Anthony Nolan register at www.anthonynolan.org/saveourshahera

BBC embroiled in Churchill controversy about Bengal famine On 23rd July, Thursday the BBC was alleged of “bias” in reporting about Winston Churchill and ruining his reputation with allegations that he was culpable for millions of deaths during the 1943 Bengal famine.

The segment broadcasted on News at Ten on Tuesday explored Britain’s colonial legacy and how Indians today perceived Churchill and his political decisions in British India.

In an interview for the program, historian Rudrangshu Mukherjee of Ashoka University stated that Churchill was “seen as the precipitator of mass killing” because of policies he advocated during the famine. Whereas, Yasmin Khan of Oxford University, argued that Churchill can be squarely blamed for “prioritising white lives over South Asian lives” by failing to send relief.

The program was presented by BBC News India correspondent Yogita Limaye who tweeted that Churchill was viewed as a hero by millions of Britons but Indians blame him for “making the situation worse”.

However, historians who have chronicled Churchill’s political era believe that the BBC program was biased and failed to acknowledge the other side of the Churchill story.

Tirthankar Roy, professor in economic history at the LSE, in an interview with The Times said, “Winston Churchill was not a relevant factor behind the 1943 Bengal famine. The agency with the most responsibility for causing the famine and not doing enough was the government of Bengal.

“It is often said that Churchill prevented import of food in Bengal. This has no relevance either. There was no famine in the rest of British India; the Bengal government could easily import food from other regions.”

A research study by scientists in India and US in March 2019 stated that there was scientific backing for arguments that Churchill-era British policies were a significant factor contributing to the catastrophe. Researchers in India and the US used weather data to simulate the amount of moisture in the soil during six major famines in the subcontinent between 1873 and 1943.In the meantime, journalist Madhushree Mukerjee, has also argued that the famine was exacerbated by the decisions of Winston Churchill’s

wartime cabinet in London.

The Bengal famine of 1943 claimed the lives of up to three million people and was triggered by cyclones and flooding.

Petition urging indefinite leave to remain for Sikh woman A petition is appealing to the Home Office urging indefinite leave to remain be granted for Gurmit Kaur.

More than 50,000 people have already signed the petition for the 75-year-old woman from Smethwick who fears being deported, and aims to reach as many as 75,000 signatories.

Now, #WeAreAllGurmit is asking that she is granted indefinite leave to remain.

Kaur has lived in the UK for more than 10 years. She was informed by the Home Office that she must leave voluntarily or be made to return to India where she has no family. She does not have an official visa and

is categorised as an undocumented migrant.

In 2013 Gurmit received a letter from the Home Office telling her that she should leave voluntarily or face deportation. According to the campaigners she is a victim of Gurmit Kaur the hostile environment measures put in place by successive governments to clamp down on illegal immigration. However, the Home Office has stated that they have not contacted Ms Kaur Sahota since 2013, so it is wrong to claim we have been pursuing deportation.

According to them, Gurmit Kaur has made no attempt to regularise her stay or voluntarily leave the country since 2010.

A Bradford professor has been appointed as Faculty and Teaching Member to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Department of Education’s International Programme of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics.

Visiting Honorary Professor Mahendra Patel, from the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Bradford, is also a national board member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and International Fellow of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association. He said, “The appointment is a significant role in terms of the level of influence it brings and the ability to reach a global audience. Part of my national work at the moment is largely focused around educating people in relation to Covid-19, particularly those from BAME and underprivileged communities, where I think we need to be much more proactive in terms of effectively engaging with people from various religious and cultural backgrounds.

“We need to provide culturally competent and targeted education to these communities, advising and supporting them on how and what they can do better to minimise the risks of catching coronavirus. This means more testing and working closely with the various communities to ensure they have the trust and confidence to engage with us as healthcare professionals about the health status of individuals. It’s about building a genuine and

meaningful relationship with those higher risk groups and overcoming the cultural, language and behavioural barriers which exist - and there’s a way to do that.”

In his role as Teaching Faculty Member, Mahendra will be leading on pharmacy bioethics in the International Programme of the Department of Education of the UNESCO Chair of Bioethics Australia Asia Pacific Division.

Appointed in April, Mahendra began working with UN organisation’s international programme this month to deliver its 16th webinar and the first of its kind to involve pharmacy.

He recently conducted a tour of mosques and other venues in Batley and Dewsbury in a bid to make people aware of the dangers of coronavirus.

He is currently advocating the wider “mobilisation” of local pharmacists to help “build bridges between communities and government health advice”, with a view to improving people’s health in general and reducing health inequalities. His appointment will last until 2023.

Currency to feature BAME faces Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) leaders are now slated to appear on British currency.

On 26th July, reports surfaced about chancellor Rishi Sunak considering the proposals to have influential BAME people appear on a set of coins according to treasury minister John Glen’s statement to The Sunday Telegraph.

Noor Inayat Khan who was a World War II agent and one of only four women to have received the George Cross is being considered, besides the first Indian and Gurkha soldiers.

Plans have been submitted to the Royal Mint, which has been encouraged by the Treasury to draft proposals and designs for potential

coins. Sunak has previously spoken about his own experiences of racism and thus, supported the calls for widespread changes in attitudes about race.

"As a British Asian of course I know that racism exists in this country. And I know people are angry and frustrated. They want to see, and feel, change," he said."The Chancellor is aware of this. We are obviously supportive and keen to be positive about it, we need to see some firm proposals from the Royal Mint but we are keen for this to happen," Mr Glen said to The Sunday Telegraph.

Non-white individuals have yet to feature on British coins or notes.

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1 - 7 August 2020

Coalition to feed children and end starvation in Cowley Hill, Borehamwood On 27th July, local partners announced a unique collaboration to provide nutritious midday meals to hundreds of children in Cowley Hill, Borehamwood, who are at risk of going hungry during these school summer holidays due to coronavirus.

This project is a collaboration between Cllr Meenal Sachdev, local charity Gratitude, GMSP Foundation, Compassion London and Hertsmere Borough Council. It is created to supplement the diet and nutritional intake of those children eligible for Free School Meals vouchers over the summer break. Cowley Hill is consistently listed as one of the most deprived areas in the country. Now, distribution of the freshly-cooked, vegetarian meals has already started for 200 children in the area. And the team is already increasing their capacity to reach a target of 1,000 midday meals by the beginning of August. Meenal Sachdev, Hertsmere local Councillor, in a statement said, “Partnership working is something I really believe in when it comes to finding solutions to the challenges we face in the world today. I am proud to be collaborating with our partners on this summer project to reach and serve our local people.”

The project will run for the sixweek school summer holiday period (July 22 – September 1).

The meals are cooked by

Compassion London at Alexandra Palace. Compassion London is an initiative founded by Leon Aarts as an immediate response to catering for those in need during the Covid-19 lockdown. It is run by a group of volunteer who have all come together to cook and deliver delicious, nutritious meals for those who need them the most. All meals offered as part of this project are vegetarian and freshly cooked. Sample meals include macaroni cheese; tofu with creamy mash and baked beans; pasta/vegetable bake; extra mild vegetable curry with rice; boiled egg salad with roasted sweet potato; bubble and squeak with baked beans; tomato cassoulet with rice; mild vegetarian chili; vegetable fried rice.

Whereas the project will be funded by GMSP Foundation.

Founded by Ramesh and Pratibha Sachdev, GMSP is a family foundation supporting strong frontline organisations working to improve the lives of people in the UK and India. Since it launched in 2006, GMSP has focused a significant amount of its funding to end starvation and deaths related to hunger in both countries. In a statement, Ramesh and Pratibha Sachdev, Founders of GMSP Foundation said, “For months, we have heard many heartening stories of communities across the country coming together to support each other during this pandemic. What we're doing in Borehamwood is one such story. GMSP is honoured to be a part of a team ensuring children in our local community don’t go hungry this summer.”

The ingredients and food are donated by the Felix Project and meals are distributed by Gratitude with the support of the local council.

Youth Parliamentarian campaigning for eradication of food poverty wins Diana Award, earns praise from Jamie Oliver A 15-year-old boy from Rushey Mead has been honoured with the prestigious Diana Award for his campaigns against eradication of food poverty and starvation.

Dev Sharma has recently been elected as the Member of the UK Youth Parliament (Youth MP) for Leicestershire for the session of 2020-2022. Now he has been conferred with the Diana Award, the highest honour for social action or humanitarian efforts for young people in the UK. Speaking about his achievements, Dev said, “I am honoured to have been awarded with prestigious 2020 The Diana

Award on Princess Diana's birthday, in recognition of the time I have he spent campaigning with Bite Back 2030, The Food Foundation, Akshaya Patra UK & #iwill campaign for a fairer food system, a children’s #Right2Food and achieving the #UTurn to get Free School Meals over the Summer for 1.3 million kids.

“Thank you so much to everyone at who have supported me in every step of the way, inspired me and help me make this award a reality. This is clearly the most significant event in my activism journey.”

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales,

the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex.

Lauding Dev for this significant milestone, Celebrity Chef, Jamie Oliver said, "Congratulations on this incredible achievement Dev, I am absolutely thrilled to see you receive this Award.

Your work to demand a better, fairer, and healthier food system for everyone, no matter their background or where they live, is truly incredible.

“Through your work with Bite Back not only are you campaigning for a better future, but you are inspiring so many other young people to make a stand alongside you, driving this important issue into the spotlight. Just amazing!"

Southall FC celebrates 150th anniversary, proposes health and well-being centre for community Southall Football Club will be celebrating its 150th anniversary next year with a proposal for the establishment of a new health and well-being centre for the community following the coronavirus pandemic.

The club is currently in negotiations with the London Borough of Ealing and private landowners to build a new stadium back in Southall and has a first phase funding target of £125,000.

“Our aim for the coming season 2020/2021 is to push for promotion and be play-

ing Step 4 football next year as a semi-professional club in the heartland of Southall.

“Football for all ages is our main focus, especially encouraging the 16-18 years old to do well in their BTEC National courses by working in partnership with a local education provider in offering football and other sports,” said Sanjeev Sharma, Southall Football Club Chair.

As part of this project the club proposes a communitybased Health and Well Being centre to be incorporated

into the new stadium as a hub for sports projects, school use and educational programmes, too – an asset that the whole community can enjoy. The new community stadium would offer local residents state of the art training and fitness

equipment, health checks, along with sports injury prevention advice, martial arts and boxing coaching sessions. Across the community classes are proposed to suit the elderly, disabled, youth, community based, plus female only classes.

"Southall FC is a key part of the history of Southall and is a treasure locally.

Over the last 150 years Southall FC has inspired generations of young boys to play football and started some stellar careers. Now they welcome girls too and

CIIr Ketan Sheth

Cllr Ketan Sheth, Chair, Brent Council Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

Integrated Care System in NW London For those councillors in local government who scrutinise the NHS, it seems to have become an expectation that as one great change ends in our local health services, another begins.

A good few years ago in north-west London we saw the start of the Sustainability and Transformation Plans (later rebranded as Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships) or STPs as they were widely called. Now it seems another change is on the way. By April 2021 an Integrated Care System (ICS) will have been introduced, taking forward much of what was developed by the STPs. And, they are coming at a time of incredible change for the NHS and local government as a result of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with an ICS. If I had to summarise, I would say they are in essence bringing together health providers and commissioners, along with local government, to plan healthcare based on local population health needs in a defined geographical area. I’ve noticed the term ‘place’ features frequently in the NHS documentation and published reports. I should say as well, that the underpinning and thinking for them is all set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. In a few areas such as Greater Manchester, they started in 2018, and more have been set up to the point where around half of England’s population is now covered by an ICS. As for my local proposed ICS, this will be cover around 2.3million residents across eight London boroughs in north-west London stretching from Westminster out to Hillingdon, with multiple providers, and community healthcare Trusts as well, and not to forget, the local authorities. At the moment, each borough has its own clinical commissioning group (CCG), but the plan is for one CCG to cover the whole area as well (but that development is best discussed at another time) across the eight boroughs.

So, what I want to address here is this – how does an elected member sitting on an overview and scrutiny start to grips with effectively reviewing and holding to account the development of a ‘system’ of such complexity, and in the constraints of the time and resources we all know elected members face? What should our starting principles be? It’s not easy to answer, but I have a few suggestions.

As an elected member, I don’t necessarily need to worry about being a ‘systems thinker’ but I do like to test their thinking constructively. I would perhaps ask this thinking about the ordinary residents in my ward what will it deliver for them? What will an ICS do to make them and their families and children healthier, and be able to live longer and with a better quality of life? Ultimately, for me that’s what organisational systems in our public services should be about. Simply, a means to an end of delivering something better for ordinary people and our communities.

Also, while we talk about ‘systems’ in health services, let’s not forget that when we refer to hospitals in particular we are talking often about important local institutions which command a lot of local pride and attachment; not just because of the services they provide, but because of the outstanding research they do. Also, in my home borough of Brent, they are important local employers. I think this way of looking at the world from the grassroots should not be lost in these changes.

So that’s a few ways we can start to get to grips with such a big change, and complexity. Then it might be time to prepare for the next one, whatever that may be. play a role for everyone, supporting community sport, helping kids get healthy and stay out of trouble. I want to see Southall FC have another 150 years of great history, connected to our community, rooted in the spirit of our society and firmly placed in the centre of Southall providing high quality coaching, a successful league team and paying back into our community," said Virendra Sharma, local MP for Ealing and Southall.

The club hopes of moving from Step 5 to Step 4 in

the non-League as semi-professionals have recently been dashed due to the Coronavirus pandemic as the Club was sitting in the top 5 teams with games in hand and promotion was on the cards. A 2021 Gold Club membership is offered to potential sponsors for £1,000 for a year which includes programme advertising, season tickets and a replica club shirt amongst other great deals. Please contact: sanjsharma42 @hotmail.co.uk to join this great, local initiative.

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1 - 7 August 2020

Uganda has come a long way

Temples getting ready for Janmashtami festival with social distancing Rupanjana Dutta

Subhash V Thakrar Since the overthrowing of Idi Amin in 1979 and after some interim governments for short periods President Museveni and his army took control in 1986, Uganda has come a long way in its progress in all fields.

From the bloody times of Amin when his army killed over a million Ugandans, there has largely been peace under Museveni. This says a lot about the Museveni government. It may be tough in many ways and at times may even look dictatorial, but the people of Uganda have been rewarded with peace and descent economic growth. In recent times the economic growth has been around 6.5% which makes it amongst the 20 fastest growing economies of the world.

Uganda has great potential with its very fertile land, regular rainfall and mineral deposits. It has also fast become a landlocked trading hub for all nearby land locked countries like Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan and Congo. Whilst Uganda population is around 45m, its consumer market size is around 150m. The country has established trading houses, expanding manufacturing companies and increasing talented people. Uganda is the only country in East Africa that manufactures generic medicines.

You will often find Ugandans serving as middle managers in hotels and businesses of nearby countries.

The service sector is fast growing at 7.6%.

Agriculture still represents over 70% of the economy. However, if this sector could become organised it would be a catalyst for tremendous economic growth to the country. You only need to taste Uganda’s avocados, pineapples and cassava to realise the special flavours and quality of the produce. Current growth levels are sluggish at around 3.8% The country has still a long way to progress as by world standards it remains poor. The unemployment rate stands at 2.4%. With more that 75% of the population below the age of 30, Uganda is one of the youngest countries in the world. There lies a great potential to utilise its human resource as unemployment amongst the youths is much higher. I know that Ugandans are well known for educational development when you compare to other African Countries. Even now there are Ugandan schools and Universities attracting students from other African countries.

Quite frankly when you discount the years of Amin, this country has progressed well in a wide spectrum of areas.

Generally, Uganda is very safe. It legal system is very balanced under its adopted English system. Recent legal cases of billionaires like Sudhir Ruparelia show that being Asian in Uganda will still give you a fair legal hearing.

Today's Uganda respects people from all the societies. It has welcomed the Asians who continue to prosper. At the same time indigenous Ugandans and Asians continue to prosper and economically progress. There is no more economic dominance by Asians as it used to be. This is a good thing. The Asians have also been much more active in philanthropy and community support making their fair contribution to the country.

Proportionately, Asians are the biggest taxpayers in the country.

It is really refreshing to see Uganda making good strides.

(The columnist is the Former Chairman of London Chamber of Commerce, Chairman Founder, Charity Clarity and Commissioner, Dept of International Development)

With Covid-19 playing havoc, faith has played a great deal to help believers hold on to their hope, as thousands lost lives or fell seriously ill. For many elderlies, the places of worship are places to socialise with other people, a break from their usual lonely lives.

They rejoiced as the places of worship opened up on 5 July with temples, mosques, gurudwaras, derasars, synagogues, churches and meeting rooms in England following the UK Government guidelines.

The post Covid opening rules do not allow more than 30 people to enter these places of worship at the same time. Everyone attending the service should stick to social distancing guidelines i.e. at least 1m (3ft) or ideally 2m (6ft) if possible, away from anyone not from their own household or support bubble.

A risk assessment will have to be carried out at each place of worship. This will also determine the number of people allowed to take part in a service.

With the upcoming Janmashtami festival in August, temples are getting ready to help their devotees, celebrate the auspicious day in the safest way.

Yogesh Patel from BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, popularly known as the Neasden Temple told Asian Voice, “On Janmashtami (12 August 2020) we will have online celebrations with special sabha from 8pm till 9.45pm. So, there will be scriptural reading and singing bhajans.

“We have had online worship since 13 March 2020. After the temple opened up, they have made provisions on a limited basis only for darshan between 911am and then again 4-6pm.

“People need to book slots online, so we know who has visited in case we have to use the track and trace service. There is a one-

Social distancing inside Neasden temple for worshippers

way system and footprint stickers on the floor to assist social distancing. In the mandir as well we have footprint stickers so that devotes know where to stand for darshan and ensure social distancing at the same time.

“Every Wednesday the times are reserved for the disabled and infirm. Only if these times are not taken would others be able to book those slots. The abhishek mandap has a barrier across the door so that devotees have darshan only from there.

“Every visitor is expected to wear a mask unless unable to do so for medical reasons.

"We have shoe racks by the entrance door so that footwear can be removed on entrance; sanitising liquid is available for all to use before they make their way up for darshan. After darshan, they would be able to pick their footwear up from the other side of the shoe racks and use a sanitiser again before exiting.”

They have also made special arrangements on Wednesdays for the elderly and disabled.

“On Wednesdays, we have reserved time for the disabled and infirm. Only if these times are not taken would others be able to book those slots. That is not to say that if they wanted to come any other day, they cannot. However, if they are infirm, they would need a family member to help them with their wheelchair etc.”

Kurji Kerai of Shree

Swaminarayan Temple Willesden, speaking to the newsweekly said, “We are planning to do Janmashtami darshan following Government guidelines.

Everybody should wear masks. Everybody should maintain basic social distance guidelines while queuing up. We do not allow too many people at the same time. The celebrations are on 12 August. The arti and pooja can be viewed online. But devotees can visit Lord Krishna’s golden cradle, the annakut display

wearing them and provide hand sanitiser too.” The whole celebration can be seen on the mandir’s website (SSTW live).

H o w e v e r , Bhaktivedanta Manor this year will not host a Janmashtami festival. A spokesperson told Asian Voice, “How to deal with Janmashtami this year has naturally been a major issue for us, especially given the sheer size and scale of it.

The main discussion was how to follow all of the Government guidelines and at the same time cater for the spiritual and cultural needs of the congregation and community. In short, this year there will not be a Janmashtami festival.

“The management has decided to continue running the system we currently have in place: A mandatory pre-booked entry ticket system.

"The link to book tickets, which is also on our

Social distancing for devotees inside Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden

and have darshan within a stipulated time (6:308:30pm). Prashad will be available in boxes on the way out. We have also created socially distanced donation boxes, behind screens.

There will be one-way entry and exits through different doors. No one will be allowed to sit in the prayer hall. Our volunteers have handled everything very well so far. They will be monitoring and managing everything on Janmashtami as well, strictly maintaining the Government guidelines.

We will provide mask, if someone turns up without

website [www.krishnatemple.com], is here: https://www.eventbrite.co. uk/e/individual-worship-atbhaktivedanta-manor-tickets-108659345026.

"The webpage also provides other information you will find relevant. That week there will be ongoing rolling darshan with none of the usual additional features.”

Those willing to visit the temple, must book a ticket ahead of their visit, else run risk of being denied entry.

Social distancing and wearing of masks are also crucial.

Lord Loomba raises key issues at House of Lords Lord Loomba CBE in virtual sessions of the hybrid parliament of the House of Lords raised key issues ranging from the Sustainable Development Goals to regulations on easing the lockdown.

Concerned about the welfare and education of girls in developing nations, and how the effect of Covid-19 may stall the SDGs, Lord Loomba asked, "What plans does the Government have to meet its 2019 pledge of ensuring 12 years of education for

more than 12 million children, half of them girls?" He pointed out that this is a priority, as education is key to achieving gender equality and eradicating poverty.

Lord Loomba also voiced concerns about the transparency of the Student Loans Company and graduates paying their student loan debt.

Questioning how the Government will be more transparent with student loans he said, “This was needed so that students are better equipped to make

informed decisions about their finances and better understand how the system of repayments works."

Finally, on the issue of Covid-19 and its impact on society, Lord Loomba welcomed the fact that more businesses are now opening. Concentrating on businesses that are going to be impacted for far longer than others, such as theatres and concert venues, Lord Loomba queried, "With the public now able to board planes and go into pubs and restaurants, what

specific help is being given to places such as these?

Productions are often not viable without over 65% of ticket sales being achieved." This is, he stressed, is something that is not compatible with current social distancing rules, and more needed to be done for these businesses, both practically, and financially.

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TLIGHT

Matt Barrett: Goal Click Refugees Sunetra Senior

able is from the point of view of the observer. It allows us to frame challenging issues such as the refugee crisis, general health scares, and the atrocity of war, drawing attention to otherwise upsetting subjects.

It creates a common language with another state of society.” In short, an accessible, direct sport allows an inim-

immediate connection to another’s life.

Goal Click Refugees specifically illustrate for you what an individual’s life is like.

We encourage the mentality of wanting to understand: to really absorb what someone has been through.” Indeed, the project also reciprocally highlights the commonality of life across the world. Barrett gave the poignant example of a Kenyan refugee called Jacob, now living in the UK, whose passion and talent shone brightly through. “This guy was actually a professional footballer in Africa, and it is unusual for someone of that standing to become a refugee. He had been used as a ‘mule’ by drug smugglers, and was tragically marked by the criminal underworld from a young age. He did escape their intentions, going on to play in the Kenyan premier league, but was tracked down soon after and electrocuted in his own home. A few weeks after that, he was on trial with Newcastle United in the E n g l i s h P r e m i e r League, but could not pursue this c a r e e r while being an asylum seeker. Today, he is on his way to becoming a professional football referee – after such struggle that was no fault of his own.”

Ultimately then everybody is the same: we simply exist in different contexts. Refugees are ordinary people who have been tragically displaced. Most

itably shared empathy.

“The vague idea of ‘bringing the world together’ is too simplistic.

Football introduces an

were leading a normal existence, peacefully getting on, before the abrupt outbreak of war, violence or the onset of natural dis-

L

ast month, the social enterprise, Goal Click, launched a major new campaign, in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency, to distribute disposable cameras to different refugees around the world. This included those from Syria and Afghanistan at refugee camps in Jordan as well as in the UK. The participants were encouraged to tell their unique stories through the universal platform of football.

Founder of the philanthropic project, Barrett, commented: “Goal Click has been going for 6 years.

We’ve worked across the world, from the very grassroots, introducing sport in conflict zones and the amateur world of football and fan culture. We invite interesting perspectives on the world by bringing the lens to particular communities, and allowing them to tell their own story. It’s a truly insider view.”

For the last three years, Goal Click have

embarked on a version of the project that solely focusses on refugees and asylum seekers: “these are the glaringly untold stories and are the most silenced and unheard,” Barrett emphasised.

Launching ahead of World Refugee Day, this year, the organisation worked with various NGOs and football charities to build a diverse portfolio of the especially marginalised narratives.

“We did this with both photographs and the individual’s words. Each refugee would take typically 27 snaps on a roll of film, and write their stories alongside this.” A series of interviews with the individual participants and video footage of the campaign was also released to coincide with World Refugee Week 2020 (15-21 June).

Of course, this also resonates with the current political zeitgeist of increasingly sensitive identity politics. The #BlackLivesMatter move-

ment has gained momentum recently, following the unjustifiable murder of black-American, George Floyd by a white police officer in the US. Here, the emotionally intelligent approach of Goal Click Refugees is particularly apt. “The ubiquitous nature of football operates on two levels,” Barrett told us. “The first is from the storyteller’s perspective where the sport can be recognised anywhere in the world, from Syria to North Korea to Peru! It is a vivid mode of communication alongside the acts of music and dance which inspires instantly; the second way in which football is relat-

"Football introduces an immediate connection to another’s life"

aster. Barrett added: “The mainstream media also tends to focus on Calais, but there are 80 million refugees currently worldwide. What was emphasised in the photographic accounts we received was that the refugee crisis is not a European dominated issue. We have a variety of stories from refugees being hosted across the world – many are from camps in the Middle-East and Africa. Another interesting observation is that I have never heard any of the storytellers complaining. That I hear more from

the public in the UK! Mostly, those individuals displaced are happy to be able to express themselves – to bring you into the dynamism of life.”

And so, Goal Click not only captures, but also hones the power of the universality of the human experience.

“Simply put, whether it is in Middlesbrough or a Jordanian refugee camp, football is that lightning rod that helps start the healing process. It is not the medicine, but rather an entry point into helping people recover from trauma. This is what comes through loud and clear across every testimony.

The strong connection to a bigger visible space is the first step towards new life – it makes facing the struggle easier, and the rest flows from that.” It is often the completer understanding of a difficult scenario that creates the path to effective change. Equality itself is the product of a collective, proactive mind.

Goal Click Refugees are en route to including Rohingya Storytellers later this year. To find out more go to:

"There are currently 80 million refugees worldwide"

T: @Goal_Click I: @goalclick

New art project seeks to celebrate couples who found love in the 1980s A new art project is calling couples to share stories, photographs, music and mementos to create a new film and soundscape with artist Dawinder Bansal and musician Martyn Ware. Dawinder Bansal is pairing up with musician Martyn Ware - founder of The Human League and Heaven 17 - to celebrate couples who found love in the 1980s.

At a time when romance and relationships are often presented as being as simple as a right or left swipe on a dating app, couples are being invited to share their love stories and show what it takes to find each other and stay together. They are looking for couples to share their stories of falling in love in the 1980s and explore how they overcame obstacles to be together. These tales will feature in a new film and online archive to be debuted in October.

The stories selected via Instagram will be featured in a short film by Dawinder Bansal with an accompanying soundscape created by 80s legend Martyn Ware.

Bansal and Ware are hoping to find couples who overcame obstacles - whether that be racism, homophobia or class prejudice - to build their lives together.

Dawinder Bansal said, “The 1980s has so much resonance to our current experiences and circumstances as a population. We had a conservative government, industries were closing and we had high unemployment, we entered a recession, racism was rife, and the world was learning about a new deadly virus.”

Martyn Ware commented, “Art acts as a conduit for empathy and feelings of all kinds, and our music has often been seen as a significant part of many people’s emotional journeys.”

Helen Juffs and Deirdre Figueiredo, who met in 1989, are among the first couples to offer their story for We Found Love In The 80s. Twenty five years after meeting, they were finally able to marry in 2014. Helen said, “We met at Nottingham Castle Museum where Deirdre worked in the Exhibitions team, and I was a volunteer. Neither of us were 'out' or had had a relationship with a woman before. It was all very tentative, starting with an unexpected embrace up a ladder! We only confided in two friends who were gay, to start with, then more friends and eventually family some years later. We got married in 2014."

The Manchester City Council cautiously welcomes the national announcement on early release of fund The Manchester City cultural leaders welcomed the national announcement on the early release of funds to help support music venues that would otherwise be facing closure by September, but say more still needs to be done.

In a letter sent to culture secretary Oliver Dowden and chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak on 8 July the Manchester City Council made the case on behalf of the city's cultural venues and organisations for a total funding package for Manchester of £71.8m over the next two years.

The two year funding request on behalf of the city was therefore split broadly in two and included an overall stabilisation package of £36m to stop venues and cultural organisations going bust and closing permanently, and a further stimulus package of £30.7m to re-ignite and boost the

city-wide cultural economy over the next two years.

The total amount asked for includes £8.4m to provide immediate direct stabilisation support to fifty music venues and organisations in the city, topped up by an additional £8m over two years to provide a dedicated music stimulus package for the broader music sector in the city. Together this would provide a total of £16.4m for Manchester's music sector to give it both the support it needs to get back up and running, and to help it forward plan confidently. Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Skills, Manchester City Council, said, "Of course, the support announced so far is welcome - but let's not kid ourselves that this problem is now solved. There's still a long way to go yet until we reach dry land, and more support is still very much needed."

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Report states Tata Steel offers Case over funds of Nizam Of Hyderabad back in court 50% stake to UK taxpayer On Wednesday, 22nd July, the descendants of the Nizam of Hyderabad were back in the London High Court to challenge a court order related to funds over £35 million lying in a UK bank account.

Tata Steel Ltd. has proposed that the U.K. government invest more than £900 million for a stake in its British operations and protect the Port Talbot steelworks from closing in Wales, according to Sky News.

The Indian steel major is seeking £900 million from UK government’s the Project Birch fund, which was set up to provide state support for strategically important businesses crippled by the pandemic. Sky News reported, “A source close to Tata Steel said the proposal – which is just one of the options the company is examining – would involve its parent company writing off an equivalent quantity of debt owed to it by the UK business.“The talks are at a tentative, rather than concrete, stage, and the structure of any deal, as well as the size of any financial contributions, remain far from being finalised.”

The latest proposal appears after reports suggested last week that Tata Steel was exploring the closure of the plant’s two blast furnaces and replacing them with electric arc furnaces.

This can result in job losses

for as many as 3,500 workers employed by the company in Port Talbot off the 8,000 it employs across the country.

Reports suggested that the Unions were concerned about the switch and some indicated that they were not taken into consideration for the proposed transition.

Blast furnaces use iron ore and coal to make molten iron and steel, whereas electric arc furnaces typically melt scrap metal.

Now, the new proposal, is one of the many options that the company is considering in its restructure following the economic damage ensued by Coronavirus.

The company is also exploring the prospects of the Indian counterpart writing off a similar amount of debt it’s owed by the U.K. business. The proposal for the government to take an equity stake and in effect part

nationalise the plant is said to be one of the options under discussion.

Analysts say it is unlikely that the government would want to inject new capital into any company applying for emergency aid unless its shareholders were also willing to do so. Heavy restrictions have been placed on the funding under Project Birch, including stipulations that investments support the government in achieving its target of zero emissions by 2050.

Earlier, the local member of parliament, Stephen Kinnock, last month said it was urgent that the government acts to save the jobs.

U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has said he will set an “exceptionally high" bar for companies seeking taxpayer-funded bailouts during the coronavirus pandemic.

BAME men twice as likely fined than young white individuals On Monday 27th July, a recent analysis of fixed-penalty notices issued under the coronavirus regulations highlighted that young Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) men were twice as likely to be fined than their white counterparts.

Analysis by National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) found that BAME men were 1.6 times more likely to be fined than white people. It noted that men from 18-34 years old from BAME groups were over-represented by around twice the rate of young white men.

According to the NPCC 17,039 fines were issued between 27th March and 25th May, which represents only three fines per 10,000 people. But the rate for black people was 4.6 per 10,000 and for Asian people it was 4.7.

NPCC chair, Martin Hewitt, admitted that these figures raised alarms and that individual forces should consider how they tackle racial bias. He said, “While it is a complex picture, it is a concern to see disparity between white and black, Asian or ethnic minority people. Each force will be looking at this carefully to assess and mitigate any risk of bias – con-

scious or unconscious – and to minimise disproportionate impact wherever possible.

“For a number of forces, continued focus on crime and violence could affect their disparity rate as areas of that have been a focus of police activity are also areas with a higher concentration of black, Asian and minority ethnic people, which also increases the possibility of officers identifying and dealing with breaches during those deployments.

However, Hewitt has urged caution over interpreting local racial disparity in the figures because so few cases were involved. In the rural Cumbria force, BAME people were 6.8 times more likely to be fined than white people.

These figures appear at a time when the police across England and Wales face an inquiry by the Independent Office for Police Conduct to establish whether they racially discriminate against ethnic minorities in their use of force and stop and search.

Several key indicators show police powers in England and Wales are used disproportionately against BAME communities.

Stop and search is nine times more likely to be used against black people, and Taser stun gun use almost eight times more likely.

Covid-19 deaths of bus drivers “deeply personal” for Mayor of London The mayor of London has stated that the deaths of London bus drivers during the Covid-19 pandemic was “deeply personal” after an independent review suggested that an earlier lockdown could have prevented the untimely deaths and saved lives.

Sadiq Khan thought of his father Amanullah as he

reassured Londoners that “every possible measure” is being taken to protect frontline staff. He said, “As the son of a bus driver, this is deeply personal.”

His comments came after a review by the UCL Institute of Health Equity found that many of the drivers who died had underlying health conditions and

it is likely the frontline nature of their jobs added to their greater risk of death.

London bus drivers aged 2064 had a mortality rate that was 3.5 times higher than men of the same age in all occupations in England and Wales from March to May.

The dispute was centred around £1,007,940 and nine shillings transferred in 1948 from the then Nizam of Hyderabad to the high commissioner of the newlyformed state of Pakistan in Britain. That amount had since grown in a London bank account amounting upto £35 million. The Nizam's descendants, supported by India, claimed it belonged to them and Pakistan counter-claimed that it was rightfully theirs.

In October 2019, the Royal Courts of Justice in London had ruled in favour of India and the titular eighth Nizam of Hyderabad and his brother. The above parties had reached a confidential agreement in a decades-old legal dispute with Pakistan over funds belonging to the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad at the time of Partition in 1947.

Now in a fresh spin to the case, other descendants of the Nizam, Najaf Ali Khan

on behalf of 116 heirs of the late seventh Nizam, are challenging that ruling by accusing the administrator of the seventh Nizam's estate of "breach of trust".

Appearing remotely from India, Khan told the court that the funds were released improperly to India and the two princes Prince Mukarram Jah and his younger brother Muffakham Jah. They also claimed "chronic financial hardship".

"I determined the beneficial ownership of that money in my judgment in 2019... It is impossible to accept that he can be entitled to reopen the proceedings," said Judge Smith, dismissing Najaf Ali Khan''s attempt to reopen the case in a statement to the Press Trust of India.

The judge will continue to hear arguments over Wednesday and Thursday over allegations of impropriety by the administrator of late seventh Nizam's estate.

The administrator apparently holds around £400,000 from the money left over following payments made to the state of India and the

two princes based on their confidential agreement over the total funds.

"The Nizam VII was beneficially entitled to the Fund and those claiming in right of Nizam VII - the Princes and India - are entitled to have the sum paid out to their order," Justice Smith had ruled in favour of India and Princes Mukarram and Muffakham Jah in October 2019.

"Pakistan's contentions of non-justiciability by reason of the foreign act of state doctrine and nonenforceability on grounds of illegality both fail," the High Court verdict had concluded, dismissing Pakistan's claim.

10 READERS VOICE

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One Nation, One Flag, One Constitution

Misconception about Asian community

National Lottery Fund

The article about “One Nation, One Flag, One Constitution” was an interesting reading (AV – 25th – 31st July). The abrogation of Article 370 was really an important step towards achieving that milestone which was long overdue. Successive leaders in the parliament deliberately avoided to touch this thorny issue for purely narrow political gains. They put party politics first over national interests.

Narendra Modi has rightly removed the special status of J&K for overall development of the state by allowing people from across the country to buy land and property there. He did it in 70 days which was not done for the past 70 years to make one unified strong India, a step towards fulfilling Sardar Patel’s dream of a strong and united India.

It is time for the opposition parties to devote time to make J&K as one of the finest states of India by encouraging tourism and helping in creating more and more jobs for local people there. They should play a role of constructive opposition to revitalise the state economy by keeping aside individual political goals.

Due to changing time and advent of electronic media the youth of India is taking informed rational decisions, not just emotional decisions. It is time for the opposition parties to win the hearts of people, votes will follow if the work done by any political party is praiseworthy.

Having uniform code of conduct and jurisdiction was long overdue. It will reduce corruption and support the growth and prosperity of J&K. There are many industrialists who will invest in J&K to provide opportunities to young and educated people to bring prosperity, provided security and political stability is assured.

May I congratulate Kanti Nagda MBE for well researched front-page article about the distribution of National Lottery Funds, a subject matter close to my heart for a long time? Coronavirus emergency has brought this subject to the forefront, as many elderlies; OAPs amongst Asian community are house bound with very little support from their family members who on most part live far apart with travel restrictions playing a major part in their isolation.

While members of Asian community contribute a significant amount of lottery fund, as most are avid buyers of weekly lotteries, shifting from one-time popular football pools addiction to this easy to play lottery attraction.

I would not be surprised if our contribution exceeds well above our numerical strength, but the distribution of lottery fund does injustice to the Asian community who receives just 2% of the total fund set aside for good causes.

There is a misconception that Asians, especially East African Asians and British Indians enjoy lifestyle well above average population.

This may be true to some extent, as members of these communities are most educated, hardworking and entrepreneurs. But these are small pockets among Asian community, as Bangladeshi and manual workers among Asians, such as waiters, taxi drivers and daily paid construction workers are one of the lowest paid members of the Asian, even British community.

None of these hard-working charities have received public funds, instead depending on the generosity of their community members who are ordinary people earning well below national average wage; for the wonderful work of feeding the needy, standing by the community in their hour of need.

Another factor, more important one is the poor living standard of these people who live in run-down areas of East London and similar suburbs in Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

This is mainly due to lower earning capacity of these people many of whom are low paid, unskilled labourers. This injustice of depriving Asian population of their fair share of lottery money, as well as other social funds will not be eradicated until our people, especially those sitting on the podium take it up and our people are invited to be board members who influence the distribution of funds.

Until Asian community become active on these fronts, we will be ignored until the cows come home! There is no place for fiduciary, shoe-piece Asians who act and protect their interest first and foremost!

It is time to put Equality Commission on spot, ask them to investigate this unfair treatment and come up with reasonable answers and change their attitude, misconceptions and treat the community fairly, without discrimination or ignorance. Our leading members of HOC and HOL can and should play an active part to educate and reform these ignorant, self-appointed guardians of the community, as there is another misconception that Asian community un untrustworthy, unable to handle charity money fairly.

Covid-19 has affected all communities across the country, however clearly some more than others. BAME communities across the UK have been impacted disproportionately, resulting in more cases and higher death rates. Yet, this crisis has been stifled by the amazing work taken on by local Indian charities across the UK. Since the start of lockdown, charity workers and volunteers have been working round the clock to provide those in need with essential support. This activity has not been restricted to goods, great strides have been taken to provide those in need with welfare and mental health support. Unfortunately, it seems this excellent work provided by local Indian charities and groups, will be unrewarded by the Government’s new charity aid plans. With figures in last week’s Asian Voice (25 July, page 1) showing that the proportion of the National Lottery Fund going to Indian charities was as low as 2%. I call for all Indian community leaders across the country to come out, protest the inequity in the current allocations, and push for Indian charities to receive their fair share.

Jitubhai Patel (Trustee SPMS) Essex

Hitesh Hingu London

Could cashless society become a possibility?

It is the wish of every major economy to abolish cash and create cashless economy that will be beneficial on many fronts. There was a time when contents of gold, silver, bronze and other metal in coins exceeded the face value of the coin with the result that unscrupulous metal traders would melt coins for metal values, thus creating coin shortages. As a result, coins became small, precious metals like gold and silver no longer used in minting coins, thus making coins safe and longer lasting. Then there is a constant fight to stop counterfeiting of high value bank notes that could ruin the economy of a small nation, as well as counterfeit notes are also used in economic warfare to subjugate neighbouring hostile nations.

Hole in the wall free cash machines which are expensive to operate perhaps may no longer be free and located only in rural areas where there may be no bank branches or post offices for people to withdraw cash.

Another benefit would be a blow to black market economy where only cash transactions are acceptable, especially by small traders, handy-men and crooks who live on benefits while earning a fortune through illegal trading.

Downside of cash-free society could be a struggle for OAPs who are brought-up in cash only environment and many do not even have credit or debit cards. Although this generation is in sharp decline and may no longer exist in a decade or two, their interest should be guarded and cash available at strategic places, such as Post Office, Supermarkets, banks and building societies.

Kumudini Valambia

By Email

A Suitable Boy

Bhupendra M Gandhi London

Furloughed BAME creating jobs We read your front-page article in Asian Voice with much interest (AV 25 July). These are extremely inspiring people who have given us hopes. Many of our companies that do a lot of business with Europe, are currently in sheer despair.

These are very difficult times.

Perhaps delaying Brexit could have saved some jobs. But a combination of Covid-19 and Brexit are extremely injurious to Britain’s financial health. I hope Chancellor Rishi Sunak realises this. Moreover, he must understand taxing 40-year-old people tax for social care is not right. These are difficult times, when our earnings are severely impacted.

New taxes will make our situation graver.

Indrajit Brar Exeter

We watched the first episode of A Suitable Boy on BBC One on Sunday, with much expectations. Impressive star cast. Ishan Khattar and Tabu are fabulous. But the problem with the show is the language it has been shot in. They should have made it in Hindi.

Netflix has so many shows in Spanish and we can watch them in English (dubbed). This should have been the perfect moment to show how Britain has embraced its diversity, by using a language widely understood by Asians here- because of popularity of Bollywood.

Moreover, there is always a scope of subtitles! The cinematography is also quite outdated. Indian films have moved so far ahead in this game, this periodic drama seems just another British Raj tale, shot for the 70s audience with a 70s camera. We expected better of Mira Nair.

This year Rakhi celebration on 3 August is going to be a tough one. Every year we make our way down to our brother’s place or he visits us. Currently he is in India and stranded due to the current situation. It is impossible to meet my brother in person on this auspicious day. While we will be spending time virtually and perhaps doing a bit of the rituals via zoom, nothing can beat time together in person. I have however decided to take the full responsibility of making my brother’s day and online shopping to shower him with his favourite sweets.

In difficult times, we have to find ways to make it special.

Bulbul Sharma Leeds

Kirti Majithia London

Rakhi celebration

Well researched article The research by Kanti Nagda (p1, 25 July AV) must have startled leaders of many Indian (particularly Gujarati) Organisations. Your readers can imagine how much our community is missing out on funding made available by her Majesty’s Government for our advancement. I hope our organisations will lose no time in taking up this golden opportunity. Your readers should be thankful to Mr Nagda for bringing this offer to their attention and hope that leaders of our community organisations will lose no time in taking up the offer.

Gulab Mistry

By Email

Technology and Generation X The 21st century is truly proving to be an era of tremendous technological development as digital growth is in full swing. Everyday new advancements come to light that are amazing, inspiring and awesome. They invariably intend to make our lives more varied, comfortable, colourful and enjoyable. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc. have become household names as they are globally used by millions and millions of people on a day-to-day basis. Corona pandemic has made people very engaged in operating them and has simultaneously given a boost to online meetings, teaching and learning.Amidst all these advancements, most people belonging to Generation X find it more and more challenging to cope up with the redesigned contemporary digital world. As they are used to altogether different modes of living, they are slow learners in this new environment. Moreover, before they are capable of adapting to a new situation another innovative improvement comes up that makes them more perplexed.

This older generation must however get rid of this mental block of their incompetence in using the upcoming technologies. Besides, they should not be hesitant in learning new developments even if they have to approach and get support from a much younger age group, that is, Generation Z in this matter. Google is another astonishing wonder that instantly provides innumerable answers to any question that one can ask on this planet.

Bharat Shah Harrow

A letter from the Beggars' Association of India Beggars come in various forms. Some fake injuries and pretend that they are desperate enough to evoke sympathy from the public and get money. Some pretend to be new and lost in the city. Some are kidnapped and are forced to beg, and yet others carry just a few months’ old kidnapped babies in their arms.

There are also beggars who don’t accept anything less than Rs 10.This incident took place a few years ago. One day as usual, I stood at the bus stop waiting for my bus to arrive when a man in tattered clothes approached me for alms. Feeling sorry for him, I opened my wallet and gave him a coin of Rs 2. He took it, and then returned it and said in Hindi (translated): “Now-adays, what do you get in Rs 2? Give me not less than Rs 10”.When I wrote about this incident in the ‘Letters to the editor’ column of a local newspaper, I received a letter from the Beggars’ Association of India that said, “Rs 10 is the minimum amount one must give to a beggar.”The letter was handwritten in English and it had an address with a rubber stamp on it of the Beggars' Association of India. After this incident, I vowed never to help beggars but give the same money to a charitable institution or put it as a love offering in church.

Jubel D'Cruz, Mumbai, India We are grateful to all letter writers for more and more versatile letters well within word limit. Please keep contributing as always.

If you are new, then write to Rupanjana at rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com - AV

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

1 - 7 August 2020

KHICHADI Kapil’s

Leader of Islamic Relief Worldwide quits over anti-Semitic social media posts A senior leader of Britain’s largest Muslim charity has quit after it has emerged that he had posted antiSemitic messages on social media in a months-long tirade.

Heshmat Khalifa was a trustee and director of Islamic Relief Worldwide, and had labelled Jews the “grandchildren of monkeys and pigs” whilst called Egypt’s president a “Zionist pimp”. In the posts shown in The Times, Mr Khalifa, 63, said the Palestinian militant group Hamas was “the purest" such movement in history.

Islamic Relief was among the 85 organisations designated as terrorist groups by the UAE Cabinet in 2014. According to a freedom of information request, the British foreign

office believed it "had issues" over terrorist allega"Islamic Relief tions.

Worldwide (IRW) is a UKbased charity that has been under their domestic Counter-Terrorism sanctions legislation due to alleged connections with Hamas," an internal memo said at the time, according to The National.

Khalifa’s £570 million income over the past five

years included substantial contributions from the Nations, the United European Commission and the British taxpayer. He resigned after The Times confronted the global aid charity with antisemitic comments that he made on his Facebook page. Khalifa said that declaring Palestine’s armed wing a terrorist organisation was a “shameful disgrace to all

Muslims”. The charities regulator has launched a preliminary investigation.

In the meantime, the charity said that it “sincerely regrets any offence caused” by the Facebook posts, which “contravene the values and principles of Islamic Relief Worldwide”.

Mr Khalifa is a British citizen since 2005 and has held senior roles with the charity or its overseas branches since 1999. Until a few days ago he was chairman of Islamic Relief Australia and a director of its branches in Germany and South Africa.

Interspersed with such posts, written in Arabic, were others promoting the work of Islamic Relief. Mr Khalifa’s Facebook friends include several senior figures at the charity.

Poll highlights ethnic Home Secretary minorities belief in a demands explanation multi-cultural Britain from Twitter and Instagram

A recent poll has highlighted that most people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities believe that religious groups in the country can live together harmoniously and have a positive view of other communities.

According to Focaldata, more than three in four BAME adults agree that “in general, the different ethnic groups that make up this country get on well”.

However, the same poll conducted for Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism campaign group also noted that seven out of ten BAME individuals had regularly faced discrimination. The poll has been conducted across a sample size of 1001 adults and appears in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter movement which were propelled by the killing of George Floyd in America. The results appear merely 10 days after Boris Johnson launched a renewed commission to investigate racial disparity in the UK. It recognises that racial tensions among Britain’s ethnic communities are more pronounced than

those between white and non-white communities.

However, 31% of Buddhists, 29% of Hindus, 18% of those with no religion and 17% of Christians have unfavourable views of Muslims. One in five Muslims have a negative view of Hindus and 18% are negative about Jews.

In addition, pockets of antipathy are revealed in certain communities, with 23% of respondents of Pakistani heritage having negative views of Jews and Hindus, and 27% of Chinese and 21% of Indians having negative views of Muslims.

In the meantime, 27% Indian respondents agreed that Islamist terrorism reflected widespread antiBritish sentiment among Muslims. However, 33% of Hindus discussed a generally positive view of Muslims and 41% of Muslims have a positive view of Hindus.

However, more than half of those surveyed said they had witnessed or experienced racist comments in public or on social media, or had suffered racial abuse, in the course of the past year.

On Sunday 26th July, the home secretary demanded a "full explanation" from Twitter and Instagram about anti-Semitic posts uploaded by rapper Wiley whilst stressing for their immediate removal.

‘Wearing My Rolex’ rapper has over 940,000 followers on both social media platforms where he had shared conspiracy theories whilst insulting Jewish people. He began posting offensive content on Friday night and his manager John Woolf's initial response was that, having known the artist for 12 years, "he does not truly feel this way".

Now, police are investigating these posts after both Twitter and Instagram temporarily suspended his account.

Priti Patel said the posts were anti-Semitic and "abhorrent" and she insisted that the posts should have been taken down much earlier. She tweeted, "Social media companies must act much faster to remove such appalling

15-year old from Luton arrested for racist comments to footballer On Monday 27th July, a 15-year-old boy from Hartlepool had been arrested after allegedly posting racist comments to a footballer on social media.

The teenager was detained on suspicions of a racially aggravated public order offence in connection with comments made to a Luton Town player, 21-yearold Peter Kioso on Instagram. The comments are reported to have been made on

after Luton had secured their place in the Championship with a victory over Blackburn Rovers.

Earlier this month, a 12-year-old boy from the West Midlands was arrested by police investigating racist messages sent to Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha on social media.The boy, from Solihull near Birmingham, was later released under investigation.

hatred from their platforms.

Mayor of London has echoed similar thoughts and in his letter to bosses of the two social media giants, Sadiq Khan said that when the material was published on their platforms, "the response its removal and the banning of those responsible should be immediate.

"It takes minutes for content shared on your platform to reach an audience of millions. When someone influential shares hate speech, in that time it may have an impact on the views of many who look up to them."

Khan stressed that this was "particularly disheartening" when social media had played a "positive role in amplifying the vital voices" of the Black Lives Matter movement recently.

Follow me on Twitter: @kk_OEG

Curriculum of Deceit?

Kapil Dudakia It is said that history and how it is written belongs to those who win. To quote Dan Brown of ‘The Da Vinci Code’, “History is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books - books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe. As Napoleon once said, 'What is history, but a fable agreed upon?”. Of course, in recent times our own Winston Churchill said, ‘History is written by the victors’.

The National Curriculum for England was first introduced by the Education Reform Act of 1988. I remember it very well since at that time I was an aspiring teacher in Inner London – the days of the ILEA (you can google to see what it stands for!). The concept of a curriculum for the nation is interesting as it is important. It set out a vision and aspirations for pupils and their path through statutory education.

Statutory education was to offer a curriculum that was broad and balanced, and which promoted the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. I am sure most fair-minded people would accept this as laudable.

However, as we witness all too often, what begins with high hopes may not necessarily translate into action that merit commendation.

Black Lives Matter has created a toxic environment for the nation. I reject the systematic anarchist methodology that they use to undermine the fabric of the nation.

What is incredibly important, i.e. the true history of oppression and the resultant inequalities, has been compromised for political ideology. However, for us let us take the opportunity that presents itself to the nation, to present history not through the eyes of the winner only, but also through the eyes of the oppressed.

Shashi Tharoor's Oxford Union speech on 28 May 2015 became an international talking point. It was in favour of the motion, "This house believes Britain owes reparations to her former colonies". He proved, for those who had open minds, that there indeed was a great injustice that had hitherto been hidden away from the British National Curriculum. Maybe we have now reached a time in history when some of the grotesque wrongs of the past should be righted by telling the truth. The question that arises immediately is whose truth will it be?

How much of that truth? How far back do we go? And what if this truth shows that certain faiths, e.g.

Christianity and Islam, were in fact responsible for the genocide of millions across the world. That they inspired the brutality of dictators, Kings and Queens to be exercised on millions, cultures undermined if not vanquished, languages distorted if not destroyed, land looted and left barren, and the subjugation of whole nations for hundreds of years that has left scars that may never be healed?

I am in favour of every nation doing the needful. For the UK, it is an impossible task to tell the whole truth within the time we have in formal education. However, it is possible to do enough so that when pupils leave school, they know and understand the world in which they live in. There is no short cut and all political parties will have to own it. It might take years before an agreed curriculum is rolled out, but today we can take the first step. It’s time to correct the ‘curriculum of deceit’.

Petition urging Mayor of Luton to resign after violation of Lockdown A petition doing rounds on social media is urging for a town's mayor to resign after he was caught breaking lockdown rules on Tuesday, 27th July. The mayor of Luton, Cllr Tahir Malik attended a packed garden party with at least twelve other men, in breach of social distancing rules flouting lockdown rules shortly before the town was declared a coronavirus hotspot. Pictures appeared on social media of a large gathering at a house in

Luton, attended by Labour mayor Tahir Malik and councillors Asif Masood and Waheed Akbar.

During the pandemic Cllr Malik had repeatedly urged Luton’s Muslim community to follow government guidelines “for their own and loved ones’ safety”, including staying at home during the Eid festival. Now, the men have apologised saying they were "sorry that we did not live up to the standards that are rightly expected of us," and both

the council and Labour Party said they would investigate.Luton has been designated as an "area of intervention" by Public Health England through a rise in cases. And the petition has been signed by more than 2,000 people in two days.

12 MEDIA WATCH

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SCRUTATOR’S Sale of illegal tiger parts thrive in India India has become one of the two biggest suppliers of illegal tiger parts in the world. The illegal parts has moved on from just medicinal pitches to luxury items. Between 2007 and 2018, the latest United Nations World Wildlife Crime report said, two-thirds of all wildlife seizures globally were of tiger bones. “Thailand and India are the main source countries for these seizures,” the report said, adding that the ones in Thailand came from farmed animals - illegal tiger farms breed them in captivity - while those in India were from the wild. Of the 155 cases in which the nationality of tiger traffickers could be determined, 18% were Indian, only behind Chinese (29%). Tiger bones are sought after for the medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities attributed to them in some forms of Asian traditional medicine. It is infused in wine to make tiger wine, boiled down to make cake or ground into a powder to make pills. The report identifies two trafficking routes - the transHimalayan (India-Nepal-Tibet) and the Mekong Delta (southeast Asian countries). “Some border areas in South Asia have been identified as hot spots for tiger trafficking based on high seizure rates recorded there. From South Asia, parts move across the borders of India and Nepal into China via the northeast India route to Myanmar,” it said. The markets are in China, Vietnam and Thailand. But the consumer base has changed. “Consumer demand profiles for tiger products have started to change, and new forms of demand are emerging ... The switch is from tiger meat and tiger wine being consumed as exotic luxury products that demonstrate affluence,” the report said. (Agency) IAF to induct Dassault Rafale this month The Indian Air Force has

confirmed that the first batch of five Rafale fighter jets is likely to be inducted into the IAF on July 29. The final induction ceremony will take place in the second half of August. "The first batch of five Rafale fighter is expected to arrive in India by end of July. The aircraft will be inducted at Air Force Station Ambala on July 29 subject to weather," the IAF said.

Reports suggest that the Rafale jets are likely to be deployed in the Ladakh sector on the Eastern Border with China in view of the border row with the country.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh received the first of 36 Rafale fighter jets and flew a sortie in the MMRCA fighter jet from a French airbase in Paris to gain first-hand experience of the aircraft. Rafale was handed over to Singh on the foundation day of the Indian Air Force. The first Rafale bears a tail number ‘RB 01', where 'RB' stands for Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria, who played an important role in negotiations for procuring 36 Rafale jets in the flyaway condition. (The Times of India) Galwan martyr's wife appointed as deputy collector The wife of Colonel Santosh Babu, who was killed in a violent clash with the Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galwan Valley last month, has been appointed as deputy collector in Hyderabad.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao handed over the appointment letter to Santoshi Babu. Collector Shweta Mohanty also handed over documents for a 711 sq yard house site in Hyderabad's high-end Banjara Hills. Rao said Santoshi, who has a four-year-old son and an eightyear-old daughter, must be posted only in Hyderabad and its surrounding areas. Chief

Minister's Secretary, Smita Sabharwal, has been instructed to assist Santoshi till the time she is properly trained for her new job.

Rao also assured that the government will always stand with Col Babu's family.

Earlier in June, Rao had appointed Santoshi as a Group-I service officer in the state government when he visited the family at their home in Suryapet town, about 130 km from Hyderabad. The family was also given financial support of £500,000 by the state government. The 39-year old Colonel was among the 20 soldiers who died for India in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15 during a clash with Chinese troops in the biggest military confrontation between the nations in over five decades.

(Agency)

yatra was left to the administration after assessment of the ground realities prevailing in J&K. All religious places in J&K are closed for public till July 31. The board deliberated on the fact that the focus of the entire medical, civil and police administration at the moment is on containing the local transmission of the pandemic and how it has pushed the health administration system to its limit. The spike has been particularly sharp in July and health workers and security forces too were getting infected. The board was of the view that the health concerns are so serious that the strain on the health system, along with the diversion of resources to the yatra, will be immense. (Agency)

No Amarnath Yatra this year amid Covid crisis There will be no Amarnath

Girl with 'Chutia' surname denied job registration Priyanka Chutia, a girl from North Assam's Gogamukh area, has been denied to register her name for government job because of her surname "Chutia".

According to reports, Priyanka Chuti, who is Masters in Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, was denied online registration for a job at National Seed Corporation Limited (NSCL)

Yatra this year. In the wake of Covid crisis in Jammu & Kashmir, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) headed by Lt Governor GC Murmu, has decided to cancel the programme this year. The board has decided to facilitate live and virtual darshan of the morning and evening aartis. The yatra was supposed to start in the last week of this month and to end on August 3. The sudden surge in the pandemic in the Union Territory forced the authorities to reimpose the lockdown in several districts, including Srinagar. The SASB, in its meeting, discussed the Supreme Court order of July 13 in which the decision to conduct the

due to her surname. The government-run website did not accept her surname. “…the reason is nothing but my surname and the portal keeps on saying to use ‘proper naming’ words. I feel really sad and frustrated at times explaining people that I am not using slang but it is a community where I belong to,” Priyanka said in a Facebook post. Priyanka mailed to NSCL about the matter, however, she hasn't got any response. When contacted NSCL said that that it was a technical fault and will be rectified soon.

Priyanka Chutia, pronounced as "Sutiya", belongs to Chutia community in Assam, which is

one of the state's oldest ethnic groups. The Chutia community are recognised as the Other Backward Class (OBC). This is not the first such incident, the All Assam Chutia Students’ Union (AACSU) had earlier accused social media giant Facebook of blocking several accounts with name Chutia, saying that it was confused with Hindi slang.

(Agency)

Man drives 2,740 km non-stop to save wife’s life An Ahmedabad resident drove 2,740 km non-stop during the lockdown to save the life of his wife who had suffered 71% burns and had also contracted Covid-19.

The journey was to get skin for her graft procedure.

For doctors, Misbah Kharawala represented the first severe burns case in a Covid patient in India. For her husband Faisal Kharawala, the challenge was to travel to a skin bank in Belgaum, 1,370km away in Karnataka, and bring back the graft material before sepsis hit Misbah.

Doctors were worried because the coronavirus had cut down her chances of surviving the burn injuries.

Misbah, 23, suffered burns on May 9 while preparing tea for the family. She was admitted to LG Hospital first and later shifted to SVP Hospital after she tested positive for Covid. Two doctors at SVP Hospital - Dr Vijay Bhatia of the plastic surgery department, and Dr Ami Parikh, the head of medicine, took charge of her case.

Misbah recovered from Covid by

May 14. The doctors soon prepared for the graft procedures.

Since the skin for the graft was not available in Ahmedabad, they came to know that it was available with Dr Rajesh Pawar of the Dr Prabhakar Kore Hospital in Belgaum. Since the cold-chain courier was closed due to the lockdown, Kharawathela and a few close friends decided to make the round trip to Belgaum by driving non-stop. They were back at SVP on June 17. Within one hour Misbah underwent her first surgery with combined application of autograft and homograft, Dr Bhatia said. (The Times of India) Mumbai man cuts 25 birthday cakes with sword, booked Three persons were arrested for violating social distancing and lockdown norms while celebrating a birthday, the Mumbai police said. According to the police, the accused identified as Haris Khan (25), had called over 25 people to the terrace of his building in Bandra and was seen cutting 25 cakes with a sword, surrounded by guests. A video of the celebrations surfaced on social

media and a first information report (FIR) was filed against Khan and his guests at the Bandra police station. "They have been booked under Sections 188, 269 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) while Khan has also been booked under Arms Act," Nikhil Kapse, a senior officer of Bandra police said. The state is under lockdown until July 31 with an aim to contain the COVID-19 surge. (Agency)

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Banquets & catering services fear second wave of coronavirus will ‘destroy them fully’ Shefali Saxena

14th Joint Economic and Trade Committee

that this whole experience is also shifting people’s prioriThe UK government has ties. “Somebody, who had a released new guidelines for 50 million and wanted to Rohit Vadhwana weddings in England. spend five hundred thouEarlier, during July, only six sand on his daughter's wedIndia and the UK held the 14th Joint Economic and Trade people could attend a wedding, post-Covid, his net Committee (JETCO) meeting on 24 July 2020. Established ding reception, but now, the worth might have come in 2004, fifteen years ago, JETCO is the main bilateral instigovernment has allowed 30 down to less than 50%.” tutional mechanism between the two countries to discuss people at the ceremonies.

Arjun thinks that there trade and economic issues at the level of Commerce and When the lockdown was Industry Minister of India and Secretary of State for is no end in sight because imposed in the month of International Trade of the UK. An annual meeting, chaired right now there might be 30 taken advice from the local people which does not genMarch, around 73,000 wedby these two Ministers is held alternatively in New Delhi people in future that will authorities and had several erate any revenue. dings were postponed. In and London. The 13th JETCO meeting was held in July 2019 become 50 or 100. “If they meetings with them to make “The discontinuation of the pre-Covid world, the in London. are expecting a second wave sure that we are well within the Furlough Scheme from cost of an average Asian The 14th JETCO meeting, co-chaired by Mr Piyush to come which might be their guidelines. Working October 2020 will invariably wedding was Goyal, Commerce and Industry & Railways Minister of happening sometime with them has been very mean that we will have between £30,000 India and Ms Elizabeth Truss, Secretary of State, in winter, we may productive for us. reached a point of a cliff to £50,000, Department of International Trade was held virtually due have another lockedge and thereby will have “We have just been using with a guestto the Covid-19 pandemic situation. Minister of State Mr down imposed. to start laying employees off. the Government guidelines list running Hardeep Singh Puri from India and Minister of State Mr Until there is a Even the most robust of to help people plan their between 500Ranil Jayawardena from the UK had had a pre-JETCO vaccine, how can businesses will find it diffievents because what we 1000 people. meeting one week earlier to discuss market access issues an industry that is cult to maintain all their realise is that people still In May between the two countries. They also briefed the two worth a multi-bilworkforce. want to go ahead with their 2020, Asian Ministers about progress made in their meeting. As the UK lion dollars, think of “This has not only resultevent, they still want to celeVoice had reported moves towards independent trade policy in the post-Brexit Arjun Varma surviving?” he said. ed in a paralysis in our indusbrate their big-happy day. that the UK’s wedera, both sides are committed to making progress on a trade Atul Lakhani, CEO try, it has also destroyed cusRather than looking at it ding industry is among one deal. They decided to make steady progress towards signing Sanjay Foods, who is also tomer confidence within the from a negative point of of the hardest hits, as the a Free Trade Agreement for which the two sides will work the CEO of IXL Events market. For now, our view, we have created a new Coronavirus pandemic led in a staged manner, calling it an 'Early Harvest' deal or Centre Ltd said, “I business has pivoted process which is working to limitations on UK’s pub'Enhanced Trade Partnership.' To expedite the progress, it wrote to the to launch a takereally well where we’re saylic gatherings and hosting of was decided that Ministers of State from both sides will Chancellor of the away and delivery ing to customers that they events. Asian Voice reached hold monthly meetings. Later, a meeting between the two Exchequer Rishi service which is can spread their event out to banquet and catering countries, led by Minister Goyal and SoS Truss will be held Sunak through allowing us to throughout the day. So, we’ll in Autumn 2020. Business-led Joint Working Groups subcompanies to check the staour local MP reconnect with have some guests coming in, mitted their recommendations to the Ministers in the tus of their business now, and also via a our customers. giving their well wishes, JETCO meeting on three sectors, namely, Food and Drink, since the government has C a t e r e r ' s Unfortunately, meeting the bride and the ICT and Life Sciences. These are three of the five priority published new guidelines Association that the revenues groom, doing their celebrasectors identified during the last JETCO meeting to remove for weddings. we set up over 3 involved in this type tion and then leaving at a trade barriers. Other two sectors are Chemicals and Arjun Varma, CEO Atul Lakhani months ago. To this of operation are minute certain time. And then, the Services. Joint Trade Review is a mechanism that reports on Chakra Group has a grim date, we have received compared to our outgoings. next wave of guests coming the progress made in identified priority sectors to the Joint forecast for the industry no response. In fact, they Working Group on Trade, which in turn feeds into the Prime Minister Boris in and doing the same thing, even though the lockdown have not offered any supJETCO. Johnson has indicated that so the event becomes a bit relaxations have been put in port to the Events or India and the UK are the fifth and sixth largest the UK should be coming out longer and not all the guests place. “Covid-19 has literally Wedding industry. The offieconomies, respectively. Both are service sector dominant of Covid-19 by the mid of come at the same time,” he destroyed the events of cial line by the Government and complement each other in terms of capital and skilled next year. This then suggests said. weddings and catering. The is that certain sectors will manpower availability. Minister Goyal had last year given that large scale gather“By doing an bottom line at the end of miss out. This is an act of an idea to explore possibility of 'Design in the UK, ings will not be permitevent as a the day we as a business betrayal by the Government Manufacture in India and Export to the World' to utilise ted till then. The outstaggered have probably gone down as the wedding industry the strength of both countries. Given that India and the UK look for now is very event, it from having our best ever alone is worth £10.5 billion. had bilateral trade amounting to £ 24 billion in 2019 is an bleak and very uncermeans more year pre-booked in 2019 for The Government has not encouraging fact for businesses and governments. This also tain.” work for us, you lose 20% to 50% of your provided any road map to puts a responsibility on policymakers and businesses to not Firdaus But and a bigger revenue, you lose a hundred how our industry will miss the opportunity of expanding it further to harness the Nagree, Founder of staff cost for percent so very few busireopen; they have merely full potential of both economies. It is expected that the us but that’s Cavendish Banqueting nesses apart from the hospiallowed small scale wedding Firdaus Nagree recently held JETCO meeting will be a game-changer in what we’re willsaid, the demand and booktality sector there is no revreceptions from 1st August this direction. ing to do to keep the events ings for him haven’t taken a enue model at all existing in 2020 for a maximum of 30 (Expressed opinion is personal) going,” Firdaus added. cut post-Covid. “We have the hospitality sector thousands and thousands of catering and event planning companies have been laid off.”

The rigid social distancing norms Director – Marketing, Shaadi.com due to the both of them being meeting rooms to follow any social Varma feels that the and limited number of guests have distancing guidelines.”

Parag unhappy and having arguments. exclusively spoke to Asian Voice government has been really paved a new way with a revolutionshared the unfortunate story of a The girl is very much in love with and said, “We’ve seen our registraswayed by the restaurant ary paradigm shift in the matchcouple who had to cancel the boy but has had to accept tions & engagement on Shaadi.com industry. “So for the making industry. What is happenthe situation for what it is,” their wedding in April due go up by 15-20% during the lockmoment giving a live examing at the first step of the entire he said. to the lockdown. “They down. We’re seeing people getting ple for this week, I had a matchmaking process? Asian Voice had met last spring.

Speaking on the increasingly comfortable with vir300 thousand Euro destinaspoke to matchmakers to dig deepHowever, the couple paradigm shift he expects tual ways to connect. Our recently tion wedding in Italy for a er into the evolution of the tradidecided they want to be in matchmaking and speed launched Video Calling feature beautiful couple but we are tional cupid. together even if they can't dating in the post Covid-19 Shaadi Meet saw over 100,000 doing now a food delivery We asked Parag Bhargava of have the big wedding that Parag Bhargava world, he said, “No one is born video calls being made in the first 2 drop for 20 people to their Suman Marriage Bureau to comwas cancelled so they got with a talent of finding a life days and over 500,000 calls in the house in North London so ment on the current dating and married at home with a priest and partner. Dates, one night stands first week.” He said that the site has the scale is completely matchmaking trends. He said, immediate family and the girl went and casual relationships are somegotten 5 couples married virtually asymmetrical and there is “People are still very keen to meet to live with her new husband and thing totally different. Culturally during the lockdown and at one no chance of any survival,” but a few have resorted to video his family. However, due to the matchmakers have been around in point they were receiving 4-5 he said. calling where a personal introduclockdown they were stuck in the all communities (not just South requests a day. According to him, Arjun also shared that tion has been provided. Apps and four walls with his parents and didAsian) in some way or another, and the lockdown has also made people he had issues with furloughwebsites did spike during the lockn't get a chance to have a honeythe Matchmaking websites and realise the importance of having ing his staff with HMRC on down, but I think that was more to moon and really get their relationapps are also matchmakers but someone during such times. “The one of his companies. do with boredom at home and tryship off to a loving start where of a sort where the individuemotion of togetherness has never “They are being very pedaning to use the time to find a partthey would have connected al has to do more of the been more pronounced,” he said. tic about it because they are ner.” emotionally, spiritually, work.”

Meanwhile, Sharing a case study he described, saying it's a deadline issue Talking about the response in mentally and physically.

Londoners are taking “We know of one couple who regisbut was missed by the seeking suitable matches during The couple did not get another interesting route tered during the lockdown and accountant who lost his 41the lockdown, he explained, much time together, were to matchmaking. Bombay within two months of signing up year-old brother to coron“Personal services like ours went unable to go out together Central will witness a "sinon the platform they got engaged – avirus and they are not very quiet which is understandable. and the pressure of everything Adhish Zaveri gles pub quiz" by Connexions, during the lockdown. Such stories being sympathetic to that.

Things have however started picktook its toll on their relationthat will be held on 28th are testimony to our promise this So, the entire industry is ing up since the beginning of July. ship. This week the girl left the inAugust. The event is open to 25-35 lockdown – ‘Social distancing ke collapsing.” He also feels laws after they asked her to leave, We have sufficient space in our year olds only.

Adhish Zaveri, waqt, dil toh mil hi sakte hai’.”

Matchmaking, speed-dating & separation in the time of Corona

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ASIAN BUSINESSES FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE Continued from page - 1 50% curry houses may never re-open BCA is an umbrella organisation representing 12,000 Bangladeshi restaurants and takeaway curry houses. The £4bn curry industry was already dying following the exploits of Brexit and staff shortages owing to a stricter immigration system. And the pandemic has only deepened the financial shortfalls for the curry house chefs and owners. Besides a drop in the customer turnouts, curry houses have now been burdened with the additional cost of ensuring new health and safety guidelines are implemented in the restaurant in line with the Public Health of England (PHE). From sanitisation of the restaurant to providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the staff and ensuring social distancing norms are in place, overheads for these curry houses have jumped manifold. And ever since restaurants were allowed to re-open on 4th July, most have relied on huge volumes of takeaway orders.

In a recent survey conducted by Kingfisher Beer 91 per cent of Britain’s curry houses have remained open in some capacity during lockdown, trading as takeaways, often offering delivery. This high number has made clear business owners are attempting to survive the crisis. The chancellor’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme has recorded a participation from 53,000 restaurants in the UK. As part of this scheme, diners who eatin will benefit from a 50% discount upto a maximum of £10 per person on food and non-alcoholic drinks any Monday to Wednesday in August. And diners can take advantage of these schemes for unlimited times in the month. Speaking about his own restaurant, Oli said, “We have a 120-seater restaurant and not enough people are coming to for dine in. And now we also have to implement extra staff to ensure cleaning standards and

registration processes are followed through for contact tracing as the safety of our customers is of utmost importance to us.

“But we are not participating in this scheme presently as it involves a lot of hard work from registration to reclaiming funds from the Government. We are already struggling to survive. And we don’t want to add to our workload.”

Transition from physical events to social media content While curry houses chalk out financial strategies for survival, UK’s entertainment and culture industry is adapting with the transition from physical theatres and workspaces to generating more online content. Tony Shergill, is the CEO of BritAsia TV, one of the largest online platforms about fashion, lifestyle and music for British Asians. Besides producing fresh content, Tony also organises two of the biggest awards nights annually – Punjabi Film Awards and Brit Asia Music Awards. Traditionally most of these awards nights were hosted at prestigious venues in London including Wembley SSE Arena Stadium and JW Marriott or Grosvenor House. Speaking about how the pandemic has impacted his business, Tony said, “We have had to postpone both our events this year and even next year appears to be difficult with the uncertainty

around a second Covid-19 wave.

Even pencilling the dates for a venue next year is a problem and hosting virtual or online events does not have the same essence.

People attend these events because they provide good networking opportunities, develop industry relations as well as enjoy themselves. And we are in the TV business.

“So, the pandemic has been a double whammy for me. Not only have I lost ground on our awards but the production element and content creation for TV at a time when there is a highest audience for television has also been hampered.

But content creation and it’s delivery for TV from remote locations is a difficult process.”

Apprenticeship grants Tony however, focusses on the positive highlights of the Covid-19 pandemic. As an alternate to TV, he has started BritAsia Radio online besides a podcast which is available on AppleCast thereby reaching out

Tony Shergill with Rishi Sunak

to those who maybe visually impaired but can still access and ingest content. In his ambition of establishing a widespread digital footprint, Tony says that he has not furloughed any of his team members or announced permanent job losses. This appears at a time when most mainstream media organisations have had to trim their offices for lack of financial support. Going a step further, Tony is leading an apprentice program for 12 months

Naina Soni

following Rishi Sunak’s apprenticeship announcement.

Participation in this scheme ensures that a firm which hires a new young apprentice aged 16 to 24 will receive £2,000, while those that hire new apprentices aged 25 and over will be paid £1,500. The Treasury has since published a “plan for jobs” which states these payments will be in addition to the existing £1,000 incentive the government already provides for new 16 to 18-year olds apprentices. It means that employers could receive up to £3,000 for hiring 16 to 18 year-old apprentices from August to January.

In the meantime, Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, has notified the councils that "given the schemes’ (Small Business Grants Fund, and Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grants Fund) success, in that over 92% of eligible businesses have received grants, the Chancellor and I have taken the decision that all three grant schemes, including the Discretionary Fund, should close by Friday 28 August. The Chancellor and I have also agreed that once the final payments have been made on all schemes it will be necessary for local authorities to return any unspent funds to BEIS." Besides, BritAsia TV is always

partnering with other musical artists touring in the UK. Currently, Tony is optimistic about supporting Diljit Dosanjh when he is expected to tour London sometime during 2021. BritAsia Music Awards is not the only Asian Award cancelled this year. Other headlining awards which have been postponed this year include The Asian Awards and British Curry Awards.

Celebrating festivals with Pendora Sweets Amidst such gloom and doom, the Indian diaspora is curating innovative ways to celebrate upcoming festivities such as Rakshabandhan, Indian Independence Day and Ganesh Chathurthi and even Diwali.

Looking forward to Rakshabandhan on 3 August, Naina Soni, from Pendora Sweets told Asian Voice, “Pendora Sweets has been a great hit. A lot of sisters and brothers cannot get together because of the current situation so I am helping them with lovely Pendora Pedas and the Rakhis with special messages and sending it directly to the brothers.

Touchwood, it has been a huge hit.

People are really appreciating that there is something out there that they can have a traditional mithai with fusion flavours. These are not the standard Pedas that I am making at the moment. My company is very small, and I am just running from home with the help of my daughter and daughter-in-law.

“My plan is to go a lot bigger by Diwali. We are looking at the line of very luxurious mithai. I am placing lovely personalised messages for Raksha Bandhan on all orders that we receive via Facebook and Instagram messages with the names of the brothers. In the variety of Pedas, we've got Rose and Pistachio, Mango and Coconut, Nutella, Oreo, Strawberry and cream, Pineapple (Pina Colada obviously without alcohol) and coffee flavours. This week I had to turn people down because we went up to 100 orders.”

Chair appointed to lead NHS drive Nikhil Rathi plans to shake up diversity to reduce health inequalities quotient at FCA Marie Gabriel CBE will lead the NHS Race and Health Observatory (RHO), which has been tasked with identifying and tackling the specific health challenges facing people from black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) backgrounds in England today.

Gabriel is currently Chair of North East London STP, and Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, and has previously chaired East London NHS Foundation Trust, NHS North East London, and the City and Newham Primary Care Trust, following over two decades in senior executive roles within local government, housing and the third sector. Speaking about her appointment, she said, “The Observatory is a critical next step in the NHS race equality journey. It will ensure that we harness the expertise of both our academics and of our communities, it will challenge but also support the implementation of practical solutions and in so doing seek to radically address the health inequalities experienced by black and minority ethnic communities.

“Achieving equity has always

been my prime motivator and I truly believe that the ambitions of the Observatory provide an opportunity for us all to systematically improve the access, experience and outcomes of BME communities.”

Jenni Douglas-Todd and Mike Franklin will be joining the national NHS bodies as Joint Directors of Equality and Inclusion following an open recruitment process. In their roles, they will work to ensure that equality and inclusion underpin and are at the forefront of workforce aspirations, including the delivery of the upcoming People Plan update, reporting directly to Prerana Issar, NHS chief people officer. In the meantime, NHS chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, said, “Good health and access to good care is a right that everyone should expect, regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality or socio-economic status.

The coronavirus pandemic has injected fresh urgency into the need to turn this right into reality, including for people from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.

The incoming Chief of the Financial Conduct Authority revealed his plans to shake up diversity and culture across financial institutes, "leading the way" on its commitments under the Women in Finance Charter.

Addressing his first Treasury committee session on behalf of the City watchdog Nikhil Rathi warned that there were "deep" diversity issues in the financial services industry and admitted there would likely be "challenges" at the FCA too. He said, "There are issues in the talent pipeline through the organisation and how it is attracted and developed.

"There will be issues to be discussed around unconscious bias and I think the Black Lives Matter movement has touched a nerve in many organisations where colleagues are beginning to speak up much more openly about these issues."

Previously Rathi served as the director of the financial services group at the Treasury where he led international legislative negotiations in the EU. Before that he was head of the financial stability

unit during the 2008 financial crisis and served as private secretary to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown during their time as prime ministers between 2005 and 2008.

His recent appointment comes in the wake of a shattered economy due to Covid-19. Rathi is slated to begin work from October after completing his stint at the London Stock Exchange. According to him, exiting the Covid-19 crisis would be a challenge for the FCA where-

by, vulnerable consumers are treated properly and that competition is not eroded as some financial firms go bust. He said, "The FCA is a national institution and it is incredibly important that the FCA reaches out to all the regions and nations of the United Kingdom. "I think there is an opportunity now to think creatively about how resources for the FCA and talent can come from many more parts of the UK than historically."

Online Raja Yoga Meditation Foundation Course in Gujarati Language on Public Demand Today, millions of people in the country and abroad are watching Brahmakumari Shivani's programs with great interest on TV and social media. Sister Shivani especially suggests that you do a Raja Yoga meditation course.

Keeping this in mind, in the current lockdown situation, you can take this meditation course online through "Zoom" being at home. (There is no fee for this course)

This course will run from August 10 to August 16 from 5:15 to 6.30 p.m. Brahmakumari Rajyogi Sister Mani will present this in Gujarati language.

To register for this course, organized by Inner Space Wembley, please contact us by email or phone at wembley@ innerspace.org, 020 8903 1911 For more information, you can visit the website wembley.innerspace.org.

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Mothers say the outcome of honest conversations is far reaching Shefali Saxena Dependence on junk food is a major warning for increasing obesity among Britons. Grabbing a burger or fries from a kebab shop while coming back from school, or while going out with friends can be equally hazardous for the health of children. So far, due to the lockdown and summer vacations, the consumption of junk food among kids has been under strict surveillance.

But junk food might become a nightmare when the schools reopen.

Announcing the ban on junk food ads before 9pm, ending buy-one-get-one-free deals and urging to put calorie numbers on restaurant menus, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that he felt he was “too fat” before he Coronavirus. contracted Campaigners also waved a red flag over Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ initiative – according to which fast food outlets will be giving the public 50 percent off meals during August.

An analysis published by Cancer Research UK states that almost half of all food adverts shown on ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky One were for products high in fat, sugar and salt, rising to almost 60% between 6pm and 9pm when they are most likely to be viewed by children.

Asian Voice spoke to mothers who have school going kids, over their concerns regarding junk food consumption in children.

We asked Dr Tisa Thomas

etc than we give kids credit.” Dr Thomas shared how she is making sure that her children don’t fall prey to unhealthy eating habits, especially the consumption of junk food. “Generally it’s harder to have to make a trip to McD as a treat or something like that. But things like chocolates etc. are much harder to manage.

I try to avoid buying as if it’s home it just disappears,” she Dr Tisa Thomas

(mother of two kids aged five and seven years of age) about her concerns regarding the eating habits of her children, especially in the pandemic when obesity can be a major factor that contributes to the vulnerability to the virus. “I’m more worried about the current lifestyle due to the restrictions than junk food itself. As we’ve been home the whole time we’ve been eating homemade meals. However exercise or physical activities have been minimal. Pre Covid times the kids were a lot more active with football dance running clubs etc.,” she said.

Speaking about the kind of changes she would like to see from the government’s end, she said, “Definitely no junk food related advertisements during children’s TV time. It just promotes unhealthy eating. This includes juice chocolates crisps etc etc along with Mac Donald’s, KFC etc. Also create more awareness amongst kids regarding junk food dangers and more child friendly information. They take in a lot more via TV, news

Atrayee Bandyopadhyay

empathetic. We underestimate how receptive children can be and the outcome of honest conversations is far reaching! So once in a day crisps were replaced by a fruit of choice, sugar cravings were satiated by raisins or dates! Having spent years in genetic toxicology research I’m able to make informed decisions about which junk food to choose and which drink (aerated) to avoid. While sugar levels in any food is a concern, the side effects of artificial sweeteners are undesirable. I keep my child away from any carbonated drink, especially the ones with artificial sweeteners!

I’m careful with the cooking medium and salt as they both play a role in hypertension!

Children learn from examples, hence parents need to make a few adjustments in their own lifestyles as well! We need to practice what we preach! Being Asian means there’s a culture of having home cooked meals, it’s hard work but making right dietary choices for children will shape their eating habits as adults!”

Asian Voice also consulted a dietitian, Dahlia Kulkarni from Dietitian's room London regard-

ing her opinion over this junk food fiasco. She said, “During lockdown due to easy access to food and increased time on the computer, most of us including children have been taking less exercise and snacking more.

Some of us are snacking on asian salty and sweet foods which are particularly high in fat and sugar.

This has led to children gaining more weight which can adversely affect their future health. How children eat can affect their mood and behaviour. There is evidence that 'unhealthy dietary patterns' can affect mood in teenagers.”

In response to the announcement of the new UK Government's obesity strategy, Tim Rycroft, Chief Operating Officer at the Food and Drink Federation said, "“As the economy struggles to recover, new restrictions on promoting and advertising everyday food and drink will increase the price of food, reduce consumer choice and threaten jobs across the UK. And all to save 17 calories a day."

Susan Jebb, professor of diet at Oxford University, said, “Every kilo you lose is going to reduce your risk of Covid hospitalisation and diabetes.”

said.

As a concerned mother, Atrayee Bandyopadhyay said, “School closures and lack of outdoor activities for the last few months have been a great challenge for our kids. With his daily routine disrupted, I could clearly see my 8 year old find solace in “snack 1. Regular meals and a variety of healthy nutritious food can help to improve mood and learning so setting regular meal patterns breaks”! We had and allowing 1-2 healthy snacks each day would be beneficial. to walk the thin line trying to be 2. Although very occasional snacking on 'junk foods' is ok, it is wise to create a healthy kitchen. Keep junk foods away so you both strict and or the kids are not tempted by unhealthy treats.

3. Healthy snacks include fruit, dried fruit canned fruit in juice, frozen berries in plain yogurt, unsalted nuts, peanut butter/yeast spread on whole grain toast are all healthier options.

4. Lastly ensure your children get at least 30 mins of exercise a day.

There are many videos/apps that can be used if it is raining.

Tips to control ‘Junk Food’ consumption,

by Dahlia Kulkarni, Dietitian's Room London

To stay healthy and maintain a good body weight, we need to understand how energy balance works Following the announcement of the UK government obesity strategy, Dr Shaobo Zhou, Senior Lecturer in Nutritional Science at the University of Bedfordshire, believes that what is actually needed to tackle obesity is to improve the knowledge of nutrition with the general public: "The government’s strategy to tackle obesity doesn’t go far enough and in order to make it successful we need to improve the public’s knowledge of nutrition. The government should invest more in nutrition education, specifically tailored to the younger generation as soon as they start school age and among local communities.

Dr Zhou feels that policies which have the legal power to force the food industry to develop and produce healthier foods by modifying current products that are high in sugar, saturated fats and salt should be enforced.

“Over two thirds of UK adults are overweight. This problem has been around for over two decades and it has been difficult to eradicate despite a number of

policies previously introduced by the government.

For example, advertising bans have already been in place and exposure to high fat, salt, and sugar adverts on TV to children have fallen by 70% over the last 15 years. However, this hasn’t reduced levels of obesity.

This is because such policies have not addressed the root cause of obesity: the lack of nutritional knowl-

edge.” Dr Zhou also added that highlighting calories on restaurant menus is a good way to keep people on their toes when it comes to making their food choice. “As a nutritionist, I believe the best way for people to actually make these good food choices is to improve their knowledge of nutrition and food overall so that they can make informed decisions and most importantly have a balanced diet,” he said. Giving an example he explained that not all high energy foods are junk, and we may require high energy foods as fuel for certain activities, such as sports or carrying out a heavy workload. In order to stay healthy and maintain a good body weight, we need to understand how energy balance works, for our age and physical attributes. “All of this can only be achieved by having a good knowledge of nutrition,” he said.

PM’s ‘cycling revolution’ to help combat obesity in the UK

PM Boris Johnson; Image source: wwd.com

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that GPs in obesity hotspots will persuade people to start cycling as a part of their prescription. Cyclists will be able to procure £50 vouchers as a part of the “cycling revolution” drive to tackle obesity in the UK. The plan worth £2billion is aimed at helping the less fit and older to get back to a disciplined fitness regime.

This announcement has been welcomed by cycling charities who believe that

this will ‘radically improve the quality of walking and cycling infrastructure’ in the UK. Mr Johnson was quoted: “From helping people get fit and healthy – and lowering their risk of illness – to improving air quality and cutting congestion, cycling and walking have a huge role to play in tackling some of the biggest health and environmental challenges that we face. But to build a healthier, more active nation, we need the

right infrastructure, training and support in place to give people the confidence to travel on two wheels.

That’s why now is the time to shift gears and press ahead with our biggest and boldest plans yet to boost active travel – so that everyone can feel the transformative benefits of cycling.”

According to Daily Mail, an initial 50,000 Fix Your Bike vouchers will be made available online shortly on a first served basis.

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18 FINANCE - UK

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1 - 7 August 2020

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Alpesh Patel Sometimes people say the ‘stock market is not the economy’. This is simply wrong. The stock market is the economy and it’s lazy thinking to say otherwise.

First, take the US. The GDP of the country and value of the stock market are the same. Indeed if one is out of whack with the other, it is the best guide to what will happen to the net worth of companies going forward. So for those saying the stock market is a small part of the economy – they are wrong. An individual company is not the economy and not all companies are on the stock market, but to take a small corner shop and claim it is the economy or a family living in poverty and extrapolate is far more inaccurate.

Indeed, a common journalistic practice of vox pop extrapolation to appear ‘in touch’ with the masses actually paints a more inaccurate picture in attempting to extrapolate from three interviews to 70m people (the population of the UK).

Here is also why the stock market is the economy – yes the market index is at an all time high in say the Dow in the US, but of course the stock market as a whole rightly reflects bankrupt stock prices too like Hertz. Indeed, few better ways have yet been found to instantly tell someone what the economy is doing than the stock price of a company at that moment. Whether it is over exuberance (parabolic trends!) or disaster and worthlessness.

And if the stock market is not the economy then tell me, who do people work for? If not public listed companies then they are working for suppliers to those companies and if neither then they are paid by the taxes paid by those publicly listed companies or their employees or their suppliers and customers.

And if the economy is not the stock market then why in the United States, the world’s largest economy, let alone many others, do Central Bankers consider asset price inflation ie stock prices in setting interest rates? Because the stock market is the economy. It feeds it, lives off it, and its pricing mechanism gives a real time gauge of it.

But the stock market has the great advantage of looking forward. Like today. It rises when we are told of economic gloom because it looks forward at what the economy will be too. So it prices now what the economy is today and will be as well.

And do not forget your pension is invested in publicly listed companies – not Mrs Jones’s corner shop.

It prices today what is and what will be. Consider the alternative. It involves working out the economy based on purely historic figures eg unemployment 3 months ago.

Well Covid shows how useless that is. Or surveys of say purchasing managers. Who fills a survey in a downturn?

And surely nothing is better than where people are willing to put their money where their mouth is – ie a share price.

So, the economy is the stockmarket and vice versa.

Perhaps we should say ‘it’s the stock market, stupid’.

Transport for London seeks second bailout Transport for London has sought its second taxpayer bailout this year, warning it would need almost £5bn to get through to 2022.

Authorities said it would cut back investment in some planned projects but additional funding from the government would allow services to continue.

TfL will seek £1.9bn to take it from this October to April 2021, on top of a £1.6bn bailout agreed with the government in May, with swingeing conditions attached. It expects to need a further £2.9bn from April 2021 for the following year.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, and Mayor Sadiq Khan launched separate reviews of TfL funding this week. A Andy Byford, London’s transport commissioner, said, “The pandemic revealed that the current funding model, with its unusually heavy reliance on fare revenue, simply doesn’t work when faced with such a shock. Our revised budget looks to keep our services running safely, while we do what we can to continue the vital capital investment which will help London recover from the pandemic.”He said there would be “very difficult choices” about investment and some projects would have to be paused. However, he added, “We have a real chance, through our supply chain, to support jobs across the UK and help the country recover from the pandemic through a wide range of ‘shovel ready’ projects that support economic growth and build the green economy.”

Airlines question UK move to quarantine passengers Britain’s surprise move to quarantine passengers arriving from Spain dealt a heavy blow to European airlines already reeling from the coronavirus crisis - and sowed new doubts about the prospects for a steady travel recovery. Airlines slammed what they characterized as a disproportionate decision, as their shares sank across the board amid fading hopes that an improvement in traffic could yet allow them to salvage part of the critical summer season.

Ryanair Group Chief Executive Michael O’Leary called the UK measures “a badly managed over-reaction” as he unveiled a 185 million euro (168.4 million pounds) quarterly loss along with a more downbeat recovery outlook.

While there was “no scientific basis for a national

restriction”, O’Leary said he expected to see more Covid19 “spikes and occasional restrictions continuing throughout the summer and into the winter period”.

Britain does not rule out restoring quarantine for arrivals from other countries such as France and Germany, where it is monitoring infection rates, a junior minister said. The British measures follow new travel curbs or negative advice from countries such as Norway and France, after

an uptick in infections in Catalonia and some other parts of Spain.

The British steps are more draconian as well as more consequential, with UK-Spain flights accounting for 17% of intra-European summer capacity, according to OAG data. They also drew criticism from UK tourists now facing an unplanned work absence. The government did not immediately comment on a report in the Sun newspaper that officials were already preparing to

drop quarantine for arrivals from Spain’s Balearic and Canary islands.

The Spanish setback sent a chill through the travel sector, prompting executives and analysts to review expectations for the summer - normally a chance for airlines to lay down some fat to survive the winter, when margins are thin at best.

“This is the season when you hope to make money,” said British aviation consultant James Halstead, who described the quarantine measure as a “very strange” move.

“It’s going to be a pretty tough operating environment for everybody.” The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the airline industry’s main global body, also said the British decision “does not accurately reflect the risk of a regional spike in one corner of the country”.

Private sector economy returns to growth, says ONS report Latest figures revealed by the Office for National Statistics show a 13.9 per cent rise in retail sales in June, compared with May as pent-up demand among consumers increased overall spending.

A check on business activity from IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply also shows Britain's private sector economy returned to growth in July as clients and customers returned to spending and businesses were able to open their operations as staff returned.

Despite the slightly uplifting numbers, economists say consumer

spending remained weak in several areas, and warned growth could dwindle later in the year. Latest data for the second quarter show that the GDP fell by 20.3 per cent in April and rose by only 1.8 per cent in May. June's growth number is not expected to be strong enough to keep the quarter out of negative territory.

A third of businesses surveyed by IHS Markit reported job cuts in July. Chief business economist at IHS, Chris Williamson said, “While the recession looks to have been brief, the scars are likely to be deep. Even with the July rebound there’s a

long way to go before the output lost to the pandemic is regained.”

Senior UK economist at the consultancy Capital Economics, Ruth Gregory cautioned that retail sales were unrepresentative of the

wider economy. “Since the [retail] sector has benefited disproportionately from online spending and a switch from other types of spending, this overstates the extent of the recovery in the wider economy,” she said.

Thierry Bolloré named new JLR CEO Sainsbury, Asda won't Luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has unveiled Thierry Bolloré as its new chief executive. He will take over from Prof Sir Ralf Speth on September 10, said Chandrasekaran, chairman of owner Tata Motors, as well as Tata Sons and Jaguar Land Rover.

Chandrasekaran said: “I am delighted to welcome Thierry to Jaguar Land Rover. “An established global business leader with a proven track record of implementing complex transformations, Thierry will bring a wealth of experience to one of the most revered positions in the industry.”

Thierry has extensive expertise in the automotive business, most recently as CEO of Groupe Renault and previously in senior positions at global automotive supplier Faurecia.

He said: “Jaguar Land Rover is known around the world for its peerless brand heritage, exquisite design and deep engineering integrity. It will be my privilege to lead this fantastic company through what continues to be the most testing time of our generation. Renowned for their passion and spirit, the people of J JLR are the driving force behind its success. I couldn’t be more excited to

enforce face mask laws

Thierry Bolloré

join the team continuing to shape the future of this iconic company.”

Ralf Speth will take up the previously announced position of nonexecutive vice chairman of JLR. Chandrasekaran added: “I want to thank Ralf for a decade of outstanding vision and leadership for Jaguar Land Rover and welcome him to his new non-executive position in addition to his existing role on the board of Tata Sons.”JLR was acquired by Indian conglomerate Tata in 2008. It employs more than 43,000 staff and has UK car manufacturing sites in Halewood, Merseyside, and Solihull and Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands. Last month JLR reported fourth quarter and full year pre-tax losses which it said will lead to the axing of around 1,100 agency staff after sales fell off a cliff following the coronavirus pandemic.

Major high street retailers have revealed they will not ask staff to enforce a law that requires them to make face masks compulsory in shops in England. Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, and the Co-op are among stores that refuse to police the rule that comes with a £100 non-compliance fine. The stores instead, are urging shoppers to “play their part”.

An article on The Guardian quoted Jo Whitfield who runs Co-op's 2,600 grocery stores, as saying staff already receive abuse from shoppers on a daily basis. “We'll have instore signage on the new rules around face coverings but we are clear that shop workers should not enforce the new legislation,” he said. “On a daily basis they face abuse, threatening behaviour and even physical assault.

Our own figures show that during the Covid19 crisis such instances have risen and enforcing the wearing of face masks could be another flashpoint.”

Meanwhile, National chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, John Apter said forces “do not have the resources” to widely enforce the law. “It is our members who are expected to police what is a new way of living and I would urge retail outlets to play their part in making the rules crystal clear – if you are not wearing a face covering then you are not coming in,” he said.

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REAL ESTATE VOICE & INDIA FINANCE

19

1 - 7 August 2020

Digital payments in India surge during lockdown Digital payments in India are surging during the Covid-19 induced lockdowns which will accelerate mobile data/4G penetration and build an ecosystem of services.

According to a research report by CLSA, acceleration in data penetration will especially be positive for Bharti Airtel, as 50 per cent of its subscribers are still to upgrade to 4G, and in services, the latest catalyst will be Reliance Jio's partnership with WhatApp for JioMart ramp-up.

Within digital, mobile accounts for 50-75 per cent of transactions in volume and value. However, India's mobile data penetration is still only 57 per cent even as mobile penetration is 87 per cent.

Growing digital payments will accelerate mobile data/4G penetration and build an ecosystem of service, the report said.

Already, India's retail

digital payments were expanding with retail digital volumes expanding at 56 per cent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) from December 2015 to December 2019 and value expanding at 30 per cent CAGR. RBI data reveals government's demonetisation had brought down cash in circulation as a percentage of GDP to 8.7 per cent in FY17. Subsequently, it increased to 11.2 per cent in FY19 but had still not reached pre-demonetisation levels, underlining rise in digital payments.

"Our talks with a leading mass-market DTH operator reveals that the ongoing alllockdown has India propelled digital DTH

recharges from 60 per cent to 80 per cent within weeks," the report said.

UPI, an instant real-time payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI), which allows instant money transfer between two bank accounts on a mobile platform, is being promoted aggressively by the government. Launched in April 2016, UPI monthly transactions have risen to 1.3 billion with Rs 2.2 trillion transaction value implying 43 per cent of total digital payment volume and 32 per cent of the total value. UPI transactions now account for 41 per cent of total mobile banking transactions in value, up from 14 per cent in January 2018 and the government is now taking even more steps to aggressively promote digital payments via UPI in ongoing lockdowns.

The surge in digital payments will accelerate and services data penetration, CLSA said. The latest catalysts for digital services will be Reliance Jio partnership with Facebook's WhatsApp which will accelerate JioMart (O2O offering of Reliance Retail) ramp-up. Digital payments subscribers' increase engagement with mobile, lower churn and most importantly, the need for digital payments will accelerate mobile data/4G penetration. An acceleration in mobile data penetration will especially be a positive for Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea with over 50 per cent of own mobile subscriber base yet to upgrade to 4G. Further as mobile increasingly becomes the instrument of cashless/digital payment in the short and the long run it will build a growing ecosystem of useful services, CLSA said.

PM Modi woos US investors with big opportunities Making a strong pitch to US investors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India represents rising trade opportunities with a nation that can be trusted and which offers access to a market that has scale and availability of skilled human resources.

The PM’s remarks at the India-US business summit last week, read in the context of current anxieties over supply chains based in China, were a clear bid to position India as a safer and more reliable trade partner and destination.

"US-India friendship has scaled many heights in the past. Now, it is time our partnership plays an important role in helping

IndiGo top brass to get less pay IndiGo has decided reduce the pay of its top management executives and pilots by 15-35% from September 1 after deciding to lay off 10% of almost 25,000 employees to tide over the lockdown crisis.

IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta wrote in an email to employees: “I will increase my personal pay cut percentage to 35%. I am asking all senior VPs and above to take a 30% pay cut, all pilots will see their pay cut percentages increased to 28%, all VPs will take a 25% pay cut and associate VPs will take a 15% pay cut…

To cushion the impact among lower-paid employees.

Narendra Modi

the world bounce back faster after the pandemic.

American investors often look out for the perfect timing to enter a sector or a country. To them, I would like to say: there has never been a better time to invest in India," Modi said.

Looking to position India as a welcoming destination, Modi said areas

like finance, insurance, defence and space offered big opportunities. He said 100% FDI was allowed and big schemes like Ayushman Bharat and crop insurance had increased acceptance of insurance products and the sector could grow to $250 billion by 2025.

Modi said the health sector was growing at 22%

and there were more rural internet users than urban.

“There are over half a billion more people who are being connected. Opportunities in technology also include opportunities in the frontier technologies of 5G, big data analytics, quantum computing, block-chain and internet of things,” he added.

Pointing to synergies that could be seen to contrast with China, Modi said, “India offers a perfect combination of openness, opportunities and options.

Let me elaborate. India celebrates openness in people and in governance.

Open minds make open markets...

These are principles on which both India and the US agree."

Curbs on Chinese firms getting govt contracts In another major move to restrict China's participation in the Indian economy, the government changed the rules to enable curbs on bidders from countries that share a land border with India on the grounds of defence and national security.

Though the order does not name any country, as in the case of the previous order subjecting FDI from the same set of neighbours, the move is clearly aimed at scrutinising and imposing curbs on Chinese investments and partnerships in Indian projects. The new rules seek to block supply of stationary, turbines and telecom equipment as well as award of road and power contracts to companies that have a link with China.

The move comes in the backdrop of the continued military stand-off in Ladakh where Chinese forces are dragging their feet over vacating intrusions after partly complying with mutual agreements to disengage. Indian military commanders and

top diplomats have unambiguously conveyed to China that status quo must be restored and India will do all it can to safeguard its sovereignty. The action signals increasing impatience with China over its failure to fully implement the "consensus" to disengage and de-escalate. Previously, the government had banned 59 Chinese controlled apps, a decision that is seen to have hurt China's booming internet firms. The order, which does not apply to private sector procurement, said, “The new provisions will apply to all new tenders. In respect of tenders already invited, if the first stage of evaluation of qualifications has not been completed, bidders who are not registered under the new Order will be treated as not qualified,” the government said. If the first stage has been crossed, ordinarily the tenders will be cancelled and the process started de novo.

The order will also apply to state government and other forms of public procurement but not to private sector.

The Winning Horse

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

In last week’s article, I mentioned a deal where we were preparing to exchange, and then another purchaser was issued with a contract, meaning we ended up in a race.

In the current climate, the choicest deals attract attention; buyers become more choosey with the type of deals they do.

Thankfully our client exchanged on the deal last Friday, with completion set for early September with some helpful haste from our appointed solicitor.

The deal is in Cricklewood, and was purchased for £600,000. It consists of a shop and uppers and has a yield of 6.4%.

The property is on a corner plot and there’s potential to build at least two stories up and push out the mansard.

This, we estimate, will add a further 750 sq. ft. which equates to about £450,000 of value; bringing the end value of the property to in excess of £1M. We will commence with the planning process now, there is no need to wait for completion.

Strangely, you don’t need to own the building to apply for planning. You could, in theory, apply for planning on someone else’s building.

I feel there are a few more angles with this property which need further exploration, which could potentially add even more value to the project, using PD rights. Here, we will look to convert the rear of the commercial property into residential. As it’s a corner plot the building is well placed for this in terms of access and it would blend nicely into the local street.

Our client’s intention is not to buy and sell; it is to add value and then aim to extract the initial investment via refinance, and keep the site as a cash generator, and keep building the portfolio.

The property will be funded by a commercial mortgage or a cheap bridge. There’s a very interesting mortgage product which gives the borrower the security of a 5 year fixed rate but only the penalty of a 2 year rate. I have never come across this previously, normally the penalties are in line with the length of the product. It would be a difficult product to structure for the lender, as when they issue a 5 year fixed mortgage product it would be hedged against a 5 year borrowing from the markets.

Depending on how quickly this investor wants to get on with the project, being tied even for 2 years may or may not suit this project.

The other option is a bridge, which should be pretty much covered by the existing income generated by the property. When doing development projects they require the utmost caution, a deal is only as good as its weakest link. We are excited to be working on this project with our client, and look forward to updating you on the progress.

FORMER DELOITTE CEO GETS 7YEAR AUDIT WORK BAN National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), the regulatory body for auditors of listed and large companies, announced a seven-year ban on former Deloitte CEO Udayan Sen from undertaking any audit work, holding him guilty of “professional misconduct” in audit of the accounts of IL&FS Financial Services (IFIN). Sen, who was the engagement partner, also faces a penalty of Rs 25,00,000 for the irregularities. IFIN is part of beleaguered IL&FS group, where massive financial irregularities came to light in late 2018, prompting the government to supersede the management and order investigations. The execution of the order, however, depends on a case in the Delhi high court, where Sen has challenged NFRA’s jurisdiction, with the case slated to be heard on July 31.

APPLE STARTS MAKING IPHONE 11 IN INDIA Apple is growing its engagement in India and has started to manufacture its top-of-the-line iPhone11 smartphone, at a time when the government is aggressively pushing ‘’Make in India’ and offering incentives to attract new investments. As the US-China tension worsens, the world’s largest electronics seller has widened its India-made product profile and is preparing for exporting devices from the country. Apple is preparing for largescale manufacturing here, amid slowing operations in China, say analysts. Taiwan’s Foxconn has lined up $1-billion fresh investment in India and other partners are also boosting investments. Currently, Wistron and Foxconn - Apple’s two largest contract manufacturing partners - are making in India, and now a third one, Pegatron, is also setting foot in the country.

The manufacturing of iPhone 11 is an indication that quality levels of India-made goods are on a par with those manufactured in China, though cost may still be somewhat more.

20

PAKISTAN & BANGLADESH

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Bill presented in Pak assembly to give right of appeal to Jadhav ISLAMABAD: Pakistan government on Monday presented a bill in the National Assembly to give the right of appeal to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on the death row in Pakistan, in regard to the International Court of Justice's ruling.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs, Babar Awan, presented the bill in the Assembly, The News International reported.

Under the ordinance which was enacted on May 20, a petition for the review of a military court's order can be made to the High Court through an

Kulbhushan Jadhav

application within 60 days of its promulgation. The ordinance had sparked a heated debate between the opposition and the ruling party. Speaking about the timeline of the ordi-

nance, Awan said that it was given to the federal cabinet on May 15.

"The cabinet passed it on May 18, while Prime Minister Imran Khan received it on May 19 and sent it to President Dr Arif Alvi next day for issuance of the ordinance," he was quoted by The News International as saying. Pakistan claims that Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan in 2016 on charges of espionage. India has rejected Pakistan's allegations and said he was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar. In early 2017, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death.

In May 2017, the International

Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed his execution.

In July last year, the ICJ, by a vote of 15-1, had upheld India's claim that Pakistan has committed an egregious violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations on several counts. In light of the ICJ's decision, the Pakistan government had approached the Islamabad High Court to appoint a legal representative for Jadhav. Reacting to Pakistan government approaching the court, India has said Islamabad has blocked all avenues for effective remedy available to India in Kulbhushan Jadhav's case.

Pak SC suggests banning YouTube, other social media apps ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Supreme Court took notice of “objectionable content” on YouTube and other social media platform, saying they were filled with content instigating the public against the army, the judiciary and the government.

Hearing a bail petition of a man accused of a sectarian crime, a three-member SC bench said that if the content could not be removed, they should be banned. “On YouTube and social media, even our families are not being spared from criticism,” Justice Qazi Ameen said. “We gave a

verdict earlier and today it’s already being commented on YouTube,” he said, claiming everyone acts like an expert on social media. “There are several countries where YouTube is banned. Try uploading content against America and the European Union,” he said, seemingly ignorant about videos criticising every aspect of both those entities.

Responding to queries, officials of Pakistan Telecommu nication Authority and Federal Investigation Agency said they could not remove “individual content but could only report it.” The court then issued notices to the attorney general

US reopens asylum case of Bangabandu's fugitive killer DHAKA: The US has quietly reopened a nearly 15-year-old political asylum case against a convicted assassin of Bangladesh's 'Father of the Nation' Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, according to media reports. The current government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been persuading the US to extradite former Bangladesh Army officer MA Rashed Chowdhury, who is hiding in the United States.

Prime Minister Hasina last year wrote to President Donald Trump seeking the repatriation of the fugitive, who along with other Army officers, was involved in the military coup that led to the assassination of her father in 1975.

US attorney general William Barr reopened the case of the political asylum of Chowdhury, the Dhaka Tribune reported last week, citing US-based news portal Politico.

Sheikh Mujib, as he is popularly called, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from April 1971 until his assassination on August 15, 1975. He was assassinated along with all but two of his family members by a group of Bangladesh Army personnel. His daughters – Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana – survived the massacre as they were abroad. Twentythree years after the assassination, Chowdhury, a former Bangladesh Army officer, and other fugitive convicts were sentenced to death by the High Court in 1998.

The Supreme Court in 2009 upheld the lower court verdict, confirming the capital punishment of 12 people for killing Bangabandhu and most of his family members.

and the foreign office. While not directly referring to the hearing, science and technology minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that any bans on social media should be avoided. “Courts and PTA must stay away from moral policing and ban approach.”

Pak warns TikTok Pakistan has issued a final warning to Chinese-owned app TikTok to clamp down on what it called “immoral, obscene and vulgar” content on the videosharing platform. The Pakistan

Telecommunication Authority said that it had ordered the firm to put filters in place to stop “obscenity”. A TikTok official said the platform had removed more than 3.7 million videos that violated standards in Pakistan between July 1and December 31last year.

Bangladesh wants India to prevent moves that may hurt ties DHAKA: On the sidelines of the construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said that India should prevent moves that could hurt its historic ties with the neigbouring country. According to Bangladesh commentators, the August 5 inauguration of Ayodhya temple construction could give a new political opportunity to the opponents of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Referring to the temple construction, Momen said that both countries will not let it destroy their relations, however, India should refrain from any development that could hurt its "deep" ties with Bangladesh.

Quoting Momen, The Hindu reported, "We will not allow this (temple construction) to hurt ties but I would still urge that India should not allow any development that can fracture our beautiful and deep relationship.

This is valid for both our countries and I would say both sides should work in such a way so that such disruptions can be averted."

The minister also reportedly said that all sections of the society in both the countries had an obligation towards fostering a good relationship and ensuring that the ties remained intact as the government alone cannot deliver on such matters. The Minister also defended a telephonic conversation between Sheikh Hasina and Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan last week and said that there was nothing unusual that took place in the discussion and reiterated that the call was merely a matter of

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

courtesy. Experts in Bangladesh are of the opinion that India was moving towards a "two-nation theory" and that the temple construction, though an internal matter concerning India, will have an emotional impact on the people of the neighbouring country. However, the foreign minister blamed "vested interests" in trying to create a rift between the two countries by highlighting a series of developments in Dhaka.

He said that Bangladesh was in support of regional peace and expects dialogue with all.

Referring to Sheikh Hasina's conversation with her Pakistani counterpart, Momen asked that why should there be any problem if Pakistan called Bangladesh, and further went on to accuse the media of exaggerating reports on the call. He said both the leaders discussed the Covid-19 pandemic, whereas Pakistan said that Imran Khan had raised the Kashmir issue during the call. However, Bangladesh has maintained silence over the Kashmir issue.

in brief SENIOR UN OFFICIAL SKIPS PAK VISIT The incoming president of the United Nations General Assembly announced that he was postponing a scheduled visit to Pakistan “due to some technical flight problems.” Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir was elected president of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly last month and was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Sunday. But in a Twitter post, he said the visit to Pakistan's capital would have to wait. Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted in response to Bozkir that “I look forward to welcoming you to Pakistan soon for a constructive and fruitful visit.” A day earlier, a jubilant Qureshi, while announcing the visit, had hoped he would discuss a range of issues with Bozkir, including Kashmir, which is split between Pakistan and neighboring India and claimed by both in its entirety.

PAK JOURNALIST ABDUCTED A senior Pakistani journalist, known for his criticism of the country's powerful institutions, was abducted by unknown persons from Islamabad, his family and a government minister confirmed. Matiullah Jan has been abducted from his car and taken towards some unknown location, according to a video circulating on social media. 'Matiullahjan, my father, has been abducted from Islamabad. I demand he be found and the agencies behind it immediately be held responsible. God keep him safe,” according to a tweet from his account which was apparently made by his son. Jan’s wife and brother told the media that his car was found parked outside a school with one of his mobile phones inside it.

Information Minister Shibli Faraz told the media that he had sought details of the incident from the interior ministry.

25 TALIBAN MILITANTS KILLED Over 25 Taliban fighters, including 12 Pakistani citizens, were killed in an airstrike

by NATO Rescue Support in the Takht-e-Pol town of Kandahar province of Afghanistan last week. Jamal Barakzai, a spokesperson for the Kandahar Police Command, said that the Taliban fighters who were targeted had been planning to launch an attack on Afghan security forces outposts in the Thoro area of the district. Several bodies were left behind after the strike and documents showed that many of them were Pakistani citizens. Police also tweeted pictures and documents of Pakistani citizens who were killed while fighting along with the Afghan Taliban. According to Kandahar police five more Taliban militants were also killed and two wounded in counterattacks by security forces in the Arghistan district while seven militants were killed and four injured when attacks were repelled in the Taghray area of Maruf district of Kandahar.

AFGHAN GIRL KILLS TWO MILITANTS IN REVENGE An Afghan girl has been hailed on social media for her "heroism" after fighting back against Taliban militants who reportedly killed her parents. The girl took the family's AK-47 assault rifle, shot dead two of the gunmen and wounded several others, local officials in Ghor province said. Officials say the Taliban attacked as her father supports the government. The group denies any of its fighters died. A photo of the girl holding the gun has gone viral in recent days. Later in the shoot-out, which took place last week, more militants came to attack the house, in the village of Griwa, but were beaten back by villagers and pro-government militia.

Social media users praised the teenager.

The Taliban denied their fighters had been involved, far less killed, in the incident and called it government propaganda.

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AFRICA & SRI LANKA 21

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in brief US INKS NEARLY $2BN DEAL FOR COVID VACCINE The Trump administration announced a nearly $2 billion contract with the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and a smaller German biotechnology company for up to 600 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, with the companies on track to manufacture the first 100 million doses by December. Under the arrangement, the federal government would obtain the first 100 million doses for $1.9 billion, with the rights to acquire up to 500 million more. Americans would receive the vaccine for free. Before it could be distributed, it would first need at least emergency approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Large-scale safety trials are to begin this month, with regulatory review set for as early as October. “Depending on success in clinical trials, the agreement will enable the delivery of approximately 100 million doses of vaccine being developed by Pfizer and Bio-NTech,” Alex Azar II, the health secretary, said in a statement.

US SUED OVER H-1B, OTHER VISA CURBS Several big US business groups sued the Trump administration seeking to throw out immigration restrictions, including those on H-1B visas issued to highly skilled workers with expertise in specialty fields. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco against the department of homeland security and the state department, argues that President Trump exceeded his authority last month when he temporarily halted access to several employment-based visas, affecting hundreds of thousands of people seeking to work in the US. The plaintiffs include US Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers.

TAIWAN VOTES TO REBRAND ITS AIRLINE Taiwan’s parliament passed a proposal to rebrand the island’s largest airline to avoid confusion with carriers on the Chinese mainland. China Airlines is frequently mistaken for Air China - the mainland’s national carrier - and there have long been calls to rename it or make it more clearly Taiwanese. The lawmakers approved a proposal asking the transport ministry to come up with both short- and long-term rebranding plans for the carrier. Another proposal passed called for the island “to further enhance the visibility of ‘Taiwan’ on our passports”. Taiwan’s passports currently say “Republic of China. Taiwan”. A proposal from a minority party calling for the removal of the phrase “Republic of China” did not pass.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu said China had increased its sabre rattling, with jets entering the island's air defence zone on an “almost daily” basis last month.

WEARING OF MASKS MADE COMPULSORY Residents of Melbourne, Australia, must wear masks when leaving home as the country posted a record rise in novel coronavirus cases while New South Wales state was on "high alert". Australia recorded 501 new coronavirus infections recently, its highest since the epidemic began in March. Its death toll also rose by 2 to 128. Victoria state, of which Melbourne is capital, accounted for most of the new cases, with 484. Worryingly, more than half the people who tested positive for the virus in Victoria between July 7 and July 21, or more than 2,000 people, did not isolate, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said. "He said, that means people have felt unwell and just gone about their business," Andrews said. Andrews warned that the number of cases would stay on an upward trajectory if people did not self-isolate after getting tested. "And a sixweek shutdown will not be for six weeks. It will run for much longer than that."

Uhuru goes after clinics giving contraceptives to young girls NAIROBI: Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered county commissioners to carry out a nationwide crackdown on private clinics offering emergency contraceptives to underage girls.

The President says such practitioners are inculcating a culture of sexual promiscuity for sex pests, who procure such services for the girls, and providing “sexual insurance” for the minors. Education Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Zack Kinuthia said Kenyatta, in search of a long lasting solution against teenage pregnancies, abortions and runway sexual promiscuity, identified the threat that unscrupulous medical practitioners pose to the future of many girls.

“It it is not in any Kenyan law that minors access family planning health services since planning is about those in legally recognised marital unions,”

Uhuru Kenyatta

said Kinuthia “The President has told us that adult males who engage in criminal sex with minors get hiding places in emergency contraceptives, and procure family planning injections and pills for minors, making sexual briefs with them a ‘safe’ lifestyle,” he said.

Kinuthia cited injectables, oral, intrauterine and female voluntary surgical methods, the Norplant, vaginal barriers and spermicides as the most common types of contraceptives minors are accessing. He said the President was cognizant of the fact that the Kenya Medical

Practitioners and Dentists Board is mandated to regulate safe modus operandi in the health sector, “but that is not to say we will not hesitate to infer criminal culpability against any in the health sector engaging in rogue activities in the bodies of our small girls or any other human for that matter”.

Warning Kinuthia announced that the Ministry of Education will partner with security organs to ensure the President’s directive is enforced to the letter. “We will rely on our intelligence officers to keep tabs with happenings in the health sector," he said. "We will be hard on any county commissioner and his team should we get verifiable reports that minor girls are being given access to family planning services. That will not be acceptable at all costs."

He noted that some health professionals offer illegal female genital mutilation ser-

vices to minors hence increased vigilance by the government, that has seen traditional mutilators close shop.

Action necessary Murang'a County Director of Health, Dr Winnie Kanyi, said President Kenyatta is spot-on about the issue.

“There has been too much over-the-counter procurement of health services regarding contraceptives,” Dr Kanyi noted. She said the way forward is for all women needing reproductive health services to go to government health facilities. “We are not saying minors should not get reproductive health services. Even counselling is part of such services,” she said.

“Ideally, we have a moral and professional duty to sensitise even minors on these reproductive health issues, but that is not to say we should make the issue fertile ground for moral decadence.”

Museveni gets Covid-19 panic, tests negative KAMPALA: Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni said that he called in ministry of health experts last week to test for Covid-19 after he developing a sore throat and a hoarse voice.

Fortunately, the results came out negative and he managed to keep appearing in public.

Museveni made the revelation shortly after being nominated as the national chairman and presidential flag bearer for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) at the party secretariat at Kyadondo road.

Museveni who is now running unopposed for NRM Chairman and a sole candidate for the party flag ahead of 2021

Yoweri Museveni

elections revealed that on Sunday his team called in experts to extract a sample to test for Covid-19. The President was nominated by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda for NRM National Chairman and was seconded by the Chairman of NRM youth league Gadafi

Nasur and Ms Amina Lukanga.

"I apologise for the horse voice. Last week we had a lot of meetings and I think if you speak for a long time with a mask, you get a problem," Museveni said. "On Sunday I started feeling cough and developed a sore throat. My first call was Corona. So I called the doctors and they took samples and in the evening they returned results saying no Corona," he revealed.

Museveni cautioned Ugandans against laxity in observing the measures and guidelines issued by the government to fight Covid-19, saying the two deaths should be a lesson to learn from. Museveni said

Tanzania opposition figure Tundu Lissu returns from exile DODOMA: Tanzanian opposition politician and presidential hopeful Tundu Lissu has returned from exile in Belgium where he underwent treatment after he was shot multiple times three years ago. Lissu, a former politician with the Chadema main opposition party, was welcomed by hundreds of supporters, who clamoured around his car as he waved from an open sunroof on Monday.

A critic of President John Magufuli, Lissu was shot 16 times in an attack by unknown gunmen in the administrative capital, Dodoma, in September 2017. At the time, Magufuli condemned the shooting and ordered security forces to investigate, but no one has been arrested.Lissu was arrested eight times in the year leading up to his attack and charged with incitement, among other alleged offences. His most recent arrest was in August 2017 - two weeks before he was shot.

Upcoming election Tanzania will hold a general election on October 28, and the United States last month accused the country of seeking to "stifle democratic norms" ahead of the polls, with a string of arrests of opposition figures and the closure of a newspaper. Lissu's return comes as the top opposition parties

consider joining forces behind a single candidate to challenge Magufuli, who seeks a second five-year term.

In an interview shortly before leaving for Tanzania, Lissu Tundu Lissu said he was "going back home to try and fight for the presidency". "Whether we are going to have free and fair elections, that is not the question, we don't expect that. The issue is ... are we going to have our lives by the end of the electoral process?"

He said the opposition and his political party had "gone through hell during these five years. The biggest thing has been the untold suffering. Killings of political leaders, attacks on political leaders, abductions, disappearances, torture, illegal prosecution of opposition leaders and activists in courts of law, with trumped-up charges."

Lissu said his heath was good after his ordeal, in which he was shot at his home.

"You have to be aware of the fact that I was shot 16 times. All my limbs, my legs, my waist, my arms, my stomach were basically ripped apart by 16 bullet shots and therefore to mend me, to put me back on my feet, took a long time.

that the two victims could have had their lives save if they had reported to the hospitals early enough. Last week, a 34 year-old resident of Namisindwa District was the first confirmed Covid-19 related death despite not having been diagnosed with the disease prior to her death. An 80 yearold woman, a resident of Kisenyi in Kampala, was the second case of fatality to be recorded.

"If you wanted to see deaths, now you have seen them. We have been begging you please don't die. People wanted to see danger but now you have seen.

This is 'endozo' (the test), so if you don't listen we are going to do a lot of work" the President said.

Lanka to conduct advance polling for people under quarantine COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has set July 31 as the date for advance voting for persons under quarantine, National Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said ahead of the August 5 vote. Over 16 million voters are registered to vote on August 5 to elect a 225-member parliament for a 5-year term.

The election commission has been struggling to make arrangements for a free and fair poll due to the health risks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. 'The pandemic has forced the election authorities to set an advance polling day for those under quarantine,' Deshapriya said.

'Now those under quarantine would be allowed to vote on July 31,' he said.

Deshapriya said the identities of the voters under home quarantine would not be revealed to the media. This will be the firstever election in Sri Lanka to have an advance polling date other than the postal voting for persons on election duties. Sri Lanka has already extended the polling time for the twice-postponed August 5 parliamentary elections by one hour after conducting several mock polls in adherence to the safety guidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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UN report says thousands of anti-Pak militants hiding in Afghanistan ISLAMABAD: A UN report says more than 6,000 Pakistani insurgents are hiding in Afghanistan, most belonging to the outlawed Pakistani Taliban group responsible for attacking Pakistani military and civilian targets. The report released this week said the group, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), has linked up with the Afghanbased affiliate of the Islamic State group. Some of TTP's members have even joined the IS affiliate, which has its headquarters in eastern Afghanistan.

The Afghan government did not respond to requests to comment on the report.

The report said IS in Afghanistan, known as IS in

Khorasan province, has been hit hard by Afghan security forces as well as US and NATO forces, and even on occasion by the Afghan Taliban. The report was prepared by the UN analytical and sanctions monitoring team, which tracks terrorist groups

around the world.

The report estimated the membership of IS in Afghanistan at 2,200, and while its leadership has been depleted, IS still counts among its leaders a Syrian national Abu Said Mohammad al-Khorasani. The

report also said the monitoring team had received information that two senior Islamic State commanders, Abu Qutaibah and Abu Hajar al-Iraqi, had recently arrived in Afghanistan from the Middle East. “Although in territorial retreat, (the Islamic State) remains capable of carrying out high-profile attacks in various parts of the country, including Kabul. It also aims to attract Taliban fighters who oppose the agreement with the United States,” the report said, referring to a US peace deal signed with the Taliban in February. That deal was struck to allow the US to end its 19-year involvement in Afghanistan, and calls on the Taliban to guarantee its territory will not be used by terrorist groups.

Biden holds commanding lead over Trump as US election enters final stretch WASHINGTON: One hundred days before the presidential election, Joe Biden has built a commanding and enduring lead over Donald Trump, whose path to victory has narrowed considerably in the months since the coronavirus pandemic began. The president’s fortunes appear increasingly tied to the trajectory of a public health crisis he has failed to contain, with the death toll past 145,000 and the economy in turmoil.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll this month showed Biden far ahead of Trump, 55% to 40% among registered voters.

That contrasted with March, when Biden and Trump were locked in a near tie as the virus was just beginning to spread.

The same poll found Trump’s approval ratings had crumbled to 39%, roughly the same share of the electorate that approved of his response to

the outbreak while 60% disapproved.

Especially troubling for the president are a new spate of polls that suggest he is losing his edge on the economy, formerly Biden’s greatest vulnerability.

“It is very hard to envision a scenario where you can make an argument for the president’s re-election if unemployment is well over 10% and there’s no sign that the pandemic is under control,” said Michael Steel, a Republican strategist who was an adviser for Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign.

“The political environment and the economic situation could look very different 100 days from now, but if the election were held today, it is very likely that the former vicepresident would win – and pretty substantially.” Surveys show Biden ahead in a clutch of battleground states that secured Trump’s victory in

Nepal to resume international flights KATHMANDU: Nepal's airports will reopen to international and domestic commercial air travel beginning Aug. 17, as decided in a cabinet meeting last week. At first, flights will go only to countries less affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic; more destinations will be added gradually.

To enter or exit the country, travelers will need to carry a certificate confirming that they don’t have Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Incoming international travelers will also need to selfisolate, but authorities did not specify for how long. New guidelines are coming, said Health and Population Ministry spokesman Samir Kumar Adhikari, according to The Himalayan Times. Nepal also announced that it would end its nearly four-month lockdown from July 21. "We are ending lockdown from tonight, but it doesn't mean that we don't have any threat of health risks," government spokesman Yubaraj Khatiwada told reporters in Kathmandu.

The lockdown, which began in March, came at the height of Nepal’s tourism season, when mountain climbers and other tourists typically flood in.

in brief PILGRIMS ARRIVE IN MECCA FOR HAJJ AMID PANDEMIC Muslim pilgrims have started arriving in Mecca for a drastically scaled-down hajj, as Saudi authorities balance the kingdom's oversight of one of Islam's key pillars and the safety of visitors in the face of a global pandemic. The hajj, which begins on Wednesday, normally draws around 2.5 million people for five intense days of worship in one of the world's largest gatherings of people from around the world. This year, Saudi Arabia's Hajj Ministry has said between 1,000 and 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom will be allowed to perform the pilgrimage. Two-thirds of those pilgrims will be from among foreign residents in Saudi Arabia and one-third will be Saudi citizens. The kingdom has one of the Middle east’s largest outbreaks of the coronavirus, with nearly 269,000 reported infections, including 2,760 deaths.

Although the hajj often draws all age groups, pilgrims this year were required to be between the ages of 20 and 50, and in good health. The physically demanding rituals of the hajj offer a profound experience for Muslims, with the faithful often weeping, their palms stretched toward the sky, in prayer and repentance.

The hajj is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in a lifetime.

AIRLINE FLIES EMPTY SO PILOTS DON'T LOSE LICENSES Joe Biden and Donald Trump

2016, including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. A Quinnipiac University poll of Florida, seen as crucial for Trump, found Biden up by 13 points.

Biden’s campaign is now eyeing an expanded electoral map that could also deliver control of the Senate, challenging Trump in traditionally Republican states like Arizona, where the president has consistently led in statewide polls, as well as in

conservative strongholds like Texas, where a new Quinnipiac poll found the candidates neckand-neck.

Trump has dismissed polling that shows him losing as “fake”, adamant that he defied Beltway prognosticators in 2016 and is poised to do it again. “I’m not losing,” he insisted during a recent Fox News Sunday interview, when presented with the network’s latest poll showing him trailing Biden by eight points.

US closes its Chengdu consulate as tensions between Washington, Beijing intensify WASHINGTON: The Trump administration closed its consulate in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu on Monday, reducing America’s diplomatic footprint in the world’s second-largest economy as relations between Washington and Beijing hit a boiling point. The US Consulate in Chengdu opened 35 years ago and up until Monday employed 200 people, of which 50 were US diplomats and 150 were local hires, according to the consulate website.

US Marines lowered the American flag that once flew over the consulate and a covering was placed over the plaque marking its entrance as the US diplomatic staff left its mission in compliance with a Chinese order.

The US now has five remaining consulates in Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Hong Kong-Macau as well as its embassy in Beijing.

Relations between the world’s two largest economies have plunged to their worst point in years over a variety of issues,

ranging from trade and cybersecurity to the Covid-19 pandemic, to China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and its growing clampdown on Hong Kong’s autonomy.

Earlier, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs directed the US Embassy in Beijing to cease operations at its consulate in Chengdu, a city in southwest China’s Sichuan province in retaliation to US asking Beijing to close its consulate in Houston. Officials said the decision to shut down the Chinese Consulate was made to secure US intellectual property and curb Chinese espionage.

A senior State Department official described the US decision to close the Chinese consulate in Houston as “serious” and reflective of “long-standing concerns.”

The person also said that the Trump administration would be prepared to deal with second- and third-order effects in the wake of this decision but would not elaborate.

Airlines are taking steps to survive the pandemic, with Asiana Airlines Inc. flying the world's biggest commercial plane more than 20 times, going nowhere and carrying no passengers, just to keep trainee pilots certified. Keeping crew flight-ready is one of the challenges carriers face as they grapple with the unprecedented crisis that keeps more than a third of the world's fleet grounded.

The empty Airbus SE A380 flew over South Korea for a few hours a day for three days in May to enable pilots of the 495-seat superjumbo to practice taking off and landing. The alternative - a trip to Thailand to use a simulator owned by Thai Airways International Pcl - was blocked because of travel bans, an Asiana spokesman said. "Takeoffs and landings of this plane cost a lot of money, and it's money that needs to be used wisely, especially these days," said Um Kyung-a, an analyst at Shinyoung Securities Co. in Seoul. "Asiana is in a bind because it also can't afford for its pilots to lose their licenses." Asiana had another 135 pilots who didn't have enough flying time on its six A380s, but it couldn't afford to keep flying the empty jet.

93-YEAR-OLD CONVICTED FOR NAZI CRIMES A Hamburg court convicted a 93-year old German man of helping to murder 5,232 prisoners at a Nazi concentration camp in World War II and gave him a suspended two-year sentence in one of the last cases against Nazi-era crimes. Rolled into the courtroom in a wheelchair and hiding his face behind a blue folder, Bruno acknowledged he had been an SS guard in the Stutthof concentration camp near Gdansk in what was then occupied Poland, but he said his presence did not amount to guilt. This did not convince the court. “How could you get used to the horror?” asked judge Anne Meier-Goering as she read the verdict. About 65,000 people, including many Jews, were murdered or died at Stutthof.

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Raksha Bandhan – a celebration of brothersister relationship Raksha Bandhan is the celebration the bond between a brother and a sister and is celebrated with much affection and adoration. This year the festival falls on August 3, 2020. And this brother-sister relationship is regarded as the most dedicated and powerful connection. It is also like the festival of Bhai Dooj.

On the day of Raksha Bandhan, brothers present gifts to their sisters and the sister also proffers gifts to brothers after she ties a rakhi around his wrist. Hence, Raksha Bandhan gifts are mandatory for both to buy.

It is considered as one of the most prestigious festivals in Hindu culture. The name, Raksha Bandhan, transmutes to ‘Protection Bond’, which implies the commitment to protect. On this auspicious day, the sisters tie

‘Rakhi’ around the wrist of their brothers. The Rakhi string is regarded as holy because it mentions the word a brother makes to her sister that he will guard her till death. On this occasion, sisters pray the goodness and well being of their brothers and also get gifts from their brother.

History One of the most famous tales of Raksha Bandhan in India is associated with the Mughal period while there was a conflict between Rajputs and the Mughals.

Traditions have it that when the widowed Empress of Chittor, Karnavati, saw a crisis in her state, she sent a Rakhi to Mughal emperor Humayun and asked for help to defend her state opposite the invasion of Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. According

due honour to the string that Karnavati had sent, Humayun quickly sent his troops to Chittor to guard her.

It is assumed that Draupadi once ripped a piece of her sari and bound it on Krishna’s wrist, which stopped Krishna’s bleeding from a battleground injury.

Krishna then claimed her as his sister. In return, Lord Krishna shielded Draupadi, when she was molested by the Kauravas in presence of Pandavas, who had succumbed her in gambling odds.

Raksha Bandhan also sees its ties to the parturition of Goddess Santoshi, and the association of Goddess Laxmi and King Bali apportioned amongst many other tales of comparable nature. There is also a

‘Wicked’ Pakistan tried to backstab friendly India PM Modi on Kargil Day India was trying to have cordial relations with Pakistan before the Kargil war but Pakistan being “wicked” in nature tried to backstab it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his 67th episode of Mann Ki Baat on Sunday.

His episode coincided with the 21st anniversary of India’s victory against Pakistan in the Kargil war. Modi used the opportunity to not only pay tribute to Indian soldiers but also stressed that people should not hurt the morale of soldiers with their speeches, actions or posts on social media.

“Friends, India can never forget the circumstances under which this war was fought. Pakistan undertook this misadventure with sinister plans to capture India’s land and to divert attention from its ongoing internal conflicts. India was then trying to have cordial relations with Pakistan but as it is said, it is the nature of the wicked to have enmity with everyone for no reason,” said PM Modi.

“People of such nature think evil even of those who do good to them. That is why in response to India’s friendly endeavours, Pakistan tried to backstab. But the entire world witnessed the valour and strength of India’s brave forces.” The PM also made an appeal against social media posts that “demoralise Indian soldiers who fight for the country”. He also said these days wars are not only fought on borders but within the country too on multiple fronts simultaneously, and every countryman has to decide his or her role in it.

“Sometimes without grasping this aspect, we encourage such things on social media which harm the country. Many times we keep forwarding out of curiosity. Even when we know it’s not right, we keep on doing it,” he said.

Taking a dig at the opposition without naming anyone in particular, PM said: “These days, wars are not only fought on borders but also within the country on multiple fronts simultaneously and every countryman has to decide his role in it. We also have to decide our role keeping in mind the soldiers fighting in tough conditions on the border.”

Modi said what then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee said from the Red Fort during the

Narenda Modi

Kargil war is still relevant. “Atalji had then reminded countrymen about the mantra of Mahatma Gandhi. Taking a cue from this thought of Gandhiji, Atalji had said: ‘Kargil war has given us another mantra that before taking any important decision we should think whether the action will honour that soldier who sacrificed his life in those treacherous mountains’.”

The PM stressed that “whatever we speak or do during times of war” deeply impacts the morale of the soldiers and their families, and hence “we must never forget this fact and that’s why our conduct, our behaviour, our aim and our words, comments should boost the morale and honour of our soldiers”.

He said if everyone follows the mantra of “nation above all” it will increase the strength of soldiers several thousand times.

On the coronavirus pandemic, PM Modi said the country needs to remain vigilant as the threat is not over yet, though the situation is “better than others”.

“The recovery rate in our country is better than others. Our fatality rate is also much less compared to other countries. We were able to save the lives of lakhs of people. But the threat of coronavirus is not over yet.”

He said coronavirus is spreading fast in many places. “We need to be extra vigilant.

We have to bear in mind that corona is as fatal today as it was in the beginning, and which is why we have to be fully cautious.”

feeling that Raksha Bandhan was even supported by Lord Yamaraj and his sister Yamuna. Yamuna attached Rakhi to Yamaraj and offered salvation.

Whatever be the tales or fables connected with the festival, it is observed with full enthusiasm with a touch of modern bearings. The significance of Rakhi is not

confined to regular people and their relatives.

In the modern interpretation of this ritual, the roles can go either way. The attention shifts from the religious aspect to a more playful exchange of gifts and a mutual understanding of peace, at least for a day!

Sometimes rakhis are tied to elder sister if one doesn’t

have an older brother, sometimes rakhis are tied to friends and distant relatives, especially in the case of single children. No matter how it is carried out, the essence remains the same, the rakhi is tied to someone who has been caring and nurturing towards you, always looking out for you, gender and relations are secondary.

With 50,000 new cases, India’s virus tally crosses 14,00,000 With a record single-day jump of 49,931Covid-19 cases, India's caseload climbed to 14,35,453 on Monday, while recoveries surged to 9,17,567, according to Union health ministry data. The country's death toll rose to 32,771 with 708 fatalities being recorded in a day, the data showed.

There are 4,85,114 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country, while 9,17,567 patients have recovered and one person has migrated. The recovery rate stands at 63.92 per cent, according to the data. The total number of confirmed cases also includes foreigners. This is the fifth consecutive day when Covid cases have increased by more than 45,000.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 1,68,06,803 samples had been tested up to July 26. As many as 5,15,472 samples, the highest in a single day, were tested on Sunday. Of the 708 deaths reported, 267 are from Maharashtra, 85 from Tamil Nadu, 82

5,166 cases in Ahmedabad from June 28 to July 27, Surat added 5,963 cases. Ahmedabad’s daily cases average was 172 compared to Surat’s 199. The two cities together account for 42.6% of the cases recorded in Gujarat.

However, Ahmedabad saw more deaths than the Diamond City, with 164 deaths in past 30 days, slightly higher than Surat’s 157.

The two cities accounted for 57.5% of Gujarat’s deaths in this period. While Ahmedabad’s share was 29%, Surat’s was 28%, analysis of the figures revealed.

Ahmedabad’s death rate for the past 30 days was 3.2%, compared to Surat’s 2.6%. The cumulative death rate for the eight biggest cities in the state was 2.5%, compared to1.7% for the rest of the state. On July 26, for the first time, the share of the eight municipal corporations in Gujarat – Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Gandhinagar – went below 50% of the daily cases, at 48%. The share of these cities has seen a constant decline from

from Karnataka, 56 from Andhra Pradesh, 40 from West Bengal, 39 from Uttar Pradesh, 26 from Gujarat, 21from Delhi, 15 from Punjab, and 10 each from Bihar and Odisha. Twelve fatalities have been reported from Madhya Pradesh, eight each from Rajasthan and Telangana, seven from Jammu and Kashmir, four from Chhattisgarh, three each from Haryana and Jharkhand, two each from Assam, Tripura, Goa, Puducherry and Kerala, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

Surat surpasses Ahmedabad in new cases Surat city in overtook Ahmedabad as the biggest contributor of Covid-19 cases in Gujarat in the past 30 days. Compared to

80% on June 23 to 48% on July 26. Experts attribute the steady increase of Covid-19 cases in rural areas of the districts to multiple factors. Compared to Covid cases, deaths were found to be concentrated in cities – in the past 30 days, Gujarat recorded 558 Covid deaths of which 374 were from the eight cities, a 67:33 ratio. Thus, two of every three deaths of Covid patients took place in city hospitals or homes, state health department figures revealed. “After Ahmedabad, Surat has emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot in terms of cases and deaths. Stringent measures are required to ensure that the spread doesn’t become uncontrollable in areas outside cities, where the health infrastructure is not very strong,” said a city-based epidemiologist.

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in brief

Record number of Covid cases in South India CHENNAI: There is no let up in the number of coronavirus cases in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Tamil Nadu reported 6,989 new cases in the last 24 hours, which is also the biggest single-day spike, government data shows. Eightynine have died and 7,758 have recovered in the last 24 hours.

The total cases in the state is now 2,06,737. The data shows 20 have died in Chennai in the last 24 hours and 1,329 have tested positive. The recovery rate in Tamil Nadu is 73 per cent and mortality rate is 1.64 per cent.

Positive cases reported in the last 24 hours from these districts are: Thiruvallur (385), Coimbatore (270), Ranipet (244), Madurai (301), Chengalpattu (449), Virudhunagar (376), Kancheepuram (442), Vellore (212) and Tuticorin (317). The state health department is replicating the Chennai model of opening hundreds of fever clinics in districts for early detection and intervention,

which has brought down Chennai's daily tally by 50 per cent. Tamil Nadu has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in India after Maharashtra.

Delhi has the third-biggest cases.

Spike in Kerala A superspreader event in the densely-populated coastal villages on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram led to a spike in infections through local transmission. Very soon, the cluster grew over a fairly large population and similar clusters mushroomed in Chellanam and Aluva in Ernakulam. Daily cases of local transmission exceeded imported infections within a week. An alarming 81% of the

cases reported on July 24 were through local spread of the virus. The total number of cases leapt from 6,166 on July 8 to 16,995 on July 24, with 9,371 active infections. There were 453 containment zones, triggering discussions about a potential Statewide shutdown, but the suggestion was put on hold almost unanimously at an allparty meeting chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

5,199 single day rise in Karnataka Karnataka on Sunday reported the highest single day spike in coronavirus cases with 5,199 additions, taking the aggregate in the state to 96,141, while 82 died due to the virus, the health department said.

There are 58,417 active cases including 632 in the ICUs whereas the 2,088 discharges on Sunday took the total discharges to 35,838, the department said in the bulletin.

The positive cases were led

by Bengaluru urban district with 1,950 infections, followed by 579 in Ballari, 230 in Mysuru, 213 in Bengaluru Rural, 199 in

Dakshina Kannada among other districts.

Andhra approaching 100,000 mark Coronavirus tally in Andhra Pradesh is approaching to the 100,000 mark with the addition of 7,627 new cases on Sunday.

The death toll crossed the 1,000mark, reaching 1,041 after 56 fresh casualties were reported in the last 24 hours. The latest government bulletin said 3,041 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the overall discharges to 46,301. The number of active cases stood at 48,956.

1,593 new cases in Telangana The total cases in Telangana reached 54,059 as 1,593 more swab samples tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday. Eight more COVID-19 patients died.

The new 1.593 cases includes 641 from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), 171 from Rangareddy and 131 from Warangal Urban districts. Out of the total 54,059 cases, 12,264 are active cases, 41,332 have recovered, and 463 COVID-19 patients have died.

PUNJAB

Amarinder, Sukhbir Badal fight over farmers' plight CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh asked SAD president Sukhbir Badal to “stop shedding crocodile tears” over the plight of farmers, whose very existence, he alleged was “threatened” by the ordinances cleared by the Centre with the support of Akalis. Singh said these ordinances were clearly the first step towards “elimination” of the MSP regime and the SAD, having given its full backing to them, has “lost” all locus standi to even “pretend” to care about farmers, whose condition had “deteriorated to abysmal levels” under their rule.

Badal, meanwhile, hit back at the CM, saying his “repeated lies' about the end of the MSP regime had already been “exposed” by the Union

Amarinder Singh and Sukhbir Badal

government. The Centre had recently promulgated three ordinances - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinances.

The CM's statement came a day after the SAD chief had offered to lead farmers' outfits

to seek any clarification from Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar regarding the ordinances.

Attacking the opposition leader, Amarinder said Sukhbir should not forget that as a union minister, his wife and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, was part of the cabinet meeting that stamped its approval on the ordinances that will totally “destroy” Punjab's farming community.

Ridiculing the SAD president's offer, the CM said it was evident that Sukhbir was “totally disconnected” from the ground situation.

The ordinances, that were completely against India's federal structure, were in line

with the recommendations of the Shanta Kumar committee, which had also suggested the dismantling the minimum support regime, said the CM in a statement. No purpose will be served now by Sukbir “pretending” about the farmers, whose interests his own party was instrumental in damaging by being an active supporter of the ordinances, alleged the CM. “Left with no defence for SAD's anti-farmer and anti-Punjab actions, Sukhbir was not trying desperately to save face with his offer,” said the chief minister, adding that the SAD chief does not even seem to know that Punjab's farmer organisations had already protested against the ordinances, which they found to be “anti-farmer” and designed to pave the way for ending the MSP regime.

RAJIV MURDER CASE CONVICT NALINI ATTEMPTS SUICIDE Nalini Sriharan, a convict in the assassination of late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, attempted suicide, her lawyer said. She has been lodged in prison for the past 29 years. Her lawyer Pugalenthi said that she attempted suicide. He said that this is for the first time that she tried to take this extreme step. He said that there was a quarrel between her and another life convict. The issue was escalated by the other inmate to the jailer, following which Nalini is said to have attempted suicide, he also said. He said that a legal request would soon be made to shift from her from the Vellore jail to the Puzhal prison. Seven persons including Nalini and her husband, Murugan were convicted for their role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

They were sentenced to death, but the same was commuted to life later.

PUNJAB'S FIRST PLASMA BANK OPENS AT PATIALA Punjab got its first plasma bank at Patiala’s Rajindra Hospital where those who have recovered from the novel coronavirus can donate their blood plasma to help treat Covid19 patients. State’s Medical Education and Research Minister O P Soni inaugurated the facility through video conference and said it will play a vital role in the fight against the pandemic. Multiple trials of plasma therapy have been successfully conducted in the state that paved the way for the establishment of the plasma bank, he said. The plasma bank is equipped with two plasma machines while a third machine would be introduced soon. The minister also said, 'We have no shortage of testing kits for anti-body testing and latest testing equipment will be available soon.” He appealed to all recovered Covid-19 patients to come forward to donate plasma.

TRINAMOOL LAUNCHES VIDEO CAMPAIGN With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensifying its activities in poll-bound West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress launched a new tri-weekly video campaign to highlight the state government’s performance. Called Shoja Banglay Bolchi (straight talk in Bengali) the campaign features a series of short data-based videos complete with graphics and background score. The first video claims that unemployment rate in Bengal during the Covid-19 pandemic is low in comparison with figures in BJP-ruled states. The BJP, however, is not named in the video. The videos will appear on social media every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, Rajya Sabha member and TMC’s national spokesperson Derek O’Brien, who hosts the campaign, wrote on Twitter.

WEST BENGAL

Bengal extends partial lockdown till August-end Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Tuesday announced to extend the partial lockdown in the state till August-end. State chief minister announced that there will be a complete lokcdown in the state for two days every week. Many states have implemented the local lockdown to curb the Covid-19 spread in the area.

Here's the complete lockdown schedule In West Bengal July 29, Wednesday, August 5, Wednesday, August 8, Saturday, August 16, Sunday, August 17, Monday, August 23, Sunday, August 24, Monday

There will be complete lockdown across Bengal on Thursday and Saturday

The state government earlier announced lockdown on August 2 and 9 but later withdrew it.

"After announcing the state-wide complete lockdown dates in the state the government has been receiving request and appeal from different

quarters not to observe state-wide lockdown on certain dates coinciding with festivals and important community occasions.

Respecting the sentiments of the people we are withdrawing complete lockdown announcement

for August 2 and August 9," the West Bengal government tweeted.

What's allowed, what's not In the wake of coronavirus outbreak in Bengal, the state government has decided to implement a biweekly lokcdown to prevent the virus spread. Only the essential services will be allowed during the lockdown. Medical outlets will remain open. All the other shops will be shut for two days a week across the state. The educational institutions will remain closed till August-end. All the government and private offices, commercial

establishments will also be shut.

All the public and private transport will remain shut. The domestic flight operations from Kolkata airport will be suspended due to the partial lockdown in the state.

However, there is no confirmation yet on whether the flight services will remain shut on those days when lockdown is being implemented in Bengal next month. Eastern Railways has also cancelled the trains scheduled on July 29.

Petrol pumps are allowed to function on the days of complete lockdown.

To prevent the spread of virus among bank employees, the state government earlier decided to let all bank branches shut all over the state on all Saturdays. "The Governor is pleased to declare that all Saturdays shall be public holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 in respect of all bank branches working in the State of West Bengal, in addition to the existing holidays on 2nd and 4th Saturdays," the finance (audit) department said. So the all the bank branches will remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays until further notice.

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The writer is a Socio-political Historian - E-mail: haridesai@gmail.com

India, Israel to work on Jinnah opposed Muslim superfast Covid tests Dr. Hari Desai

League in 1906

• He had great regard for Lokmanya Tilak • The Quiad was even opposed to Partition t is hard to believe if one says Quiad- i- Azam M.A. Jinnah was in forefront to oppose the establishment of Muslim League in 1906. Later he became the supremo of the Muslim League and could carve out a separate Muslim nation i.e. Pakistan as the Sole Spokesman.

Another shocking revelation is that Jinnah did not want the Partition! Both the statements are factually and historically correct. A hardcore nationalist Barrister Jinnah had been a Congressman whom the Aga Khan, the first honorary President of the Muslim League, considered “our doughtiest opponent in 1906” who “came out in bitter hostility towards all that I and my friends had done and were trying to do. He was the only well-known Muslim to take this attitude…He said that our principle of separate electorates was dividing the nation against itself.”

I

The Aga Khan records his observations in “The Memoirs of Aga Khan” published in 1954. With the blessings of Lord Curzon’s successor, Lord Minto the Muslim League took birth under the leadership of the Aga khan and the Nawab Samimulla Khan of Dhaka.

After 1 October 1906 deputation of 35 Muslims to Simla Palace of the Viceroy to seek blessing of Lord Minto, December 1906 had two separate conventions of the Indian Jinnah reading Dawn, the Karachi-based Daily he founded National Congress at Calcutta became Pakistan would offer a kind of (now Kolkata) and of the Muslim League at protection for Muslims living in areas Dhaka respectively. Jinnah was at Congress which have remained in India was not convention serving as the Secretary to the acceptable to the Congress. It was easier for Congress President Dadabhai Naoroji. His them to partition the subcontinent and let political Guru Gopal Krishna Gokhale too these areas go.” was attending the Congress convention.

H.M Seervai, one of the greatest jurists Jinnah always showed the greatest of India, stated very clearly that it was the respect and regard for Lokmanya Tilak. He Congress leadership that was to blame for appeared for Tilak in the Bombay High the partition of India. All you need to do is Court also. He never said anything pick up his introduction to the Indian derogatory of Tilak. Two persons in public constitution, published separately as life for whom Jinnah showed the greatest “Partition of India: Legend and Reality”. respect were Gokhale and Tilak. He had Moreover, Seervai was not the first one to hard and harsh things to say about state this. Maulana Azad said as much Gandhiji, Nehru and others; but as far as about this in his own book “India Wins Gokhale and Tilak were concerned, Jinnah Freedom”. B.R. Ambedkar’s book on had the most profound admiration and Pakistan “Pakistan or the Partition of respect for them and for their views.

India” had stated these facts in the 1940s “Jinnah did not want Partition, in case and Jinnah himself recommended his book people have forgotten that, similarly, when to Gandhi during their talks in 1944. Of the United Bengal plan was floated, Jinnah course, the Congress means Sardar Patel, said it was better that Bengal remained Pandit Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi too. united,” reveals Ayesha Jalal, who is known The only Congress leader who opposed the for her most talked about book “The Sole Partition was the Frontier Gandhi, Khan Spokesman: Jinnah, the Muslim League and Abdul Gaffar Khan who cried saying “you the demand for Pakistan”. Prof. Jalal is a have thrown us to wolves”. Abul Kalam Pakistani-American historian who serves as Azad in his “India wins Freedom” blames the Mary Richardson Professor of History the Sardar for the Partition calling him “the at Tufts University. Since the publication of torch-bearer of the Partition.” The blameher first book, The Sole Spokesman, in 1985, game continues till date.

Ayesha Jalal has been Pakistan’s leading The contrast in the life of Jinnah is historian. Educated at Wellesley College in rightly described by his onetime close the United States, and Trinity College at lieutenant Justice M. C. Chagla in his the University of Cambridge, she received autobiography “Roses in December”: the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in “Jinnah was in those days my beau ideal, 1998 for showing “extraordinary originality both in politics and in law. Who could and dedication in [her] creative pursuits…” have dreamt that one day Jinnah would Prof. Jalal says, “When Nawab Bahadur change from a great nationalist to a rank Yar Jung tried to force him (Jinnah) to communalist, and that he who was the commit to an Islamic state in 1943, he most eloquent advocate of India’s unity resisted and said the Constitution of would become responsible for the breakPakistan would be what the representatives up and partition of the country?” of the people wanted, what the people of “So long as Jinnah remained a Pakistan wanted. One of the great fallacies nationalist and the Muslim League of those wedded to seeing history purely continued its old policy (of Hinduthrough the 'great men in history' Muslim unity), I remained with Jinnah argument is that they don't see the context. and also with the League.

What I have said many times Next Column But as soon as Jinnah is that there is too much The Celebration of became communalmade of the history Jinnah made and too little of the 15 August at Red Fort minded and started twonation theory, I parted context that made Jinnah. company both with him and with the He operated within the context of Muslims League,” records Chagla, late Chief Justice in India being a [religious] category, even of Bombay High Court who became though they were not united or organised.”

Union Minister in Pandit Nehru ministry “Jinnah was from a province where and Indira Gandhi Ministry as well. Of Muslims were in a minority. He wanted to course, he opposed PM Mrs. Gandhi’s use the power of the areas where the 1975-77 Emergency and blessed the Muslims were a majority to create a shield Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980 as the party of protection for where they were in a of the future. minority. The possibility that the areas that

India and Israel will work together to develop a set of new generation Covid-19 tests that aim to bring the entire testing process down to a few seconds. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, these breakthrough technologies will be tested in India, and if successful, be manufactured in India and marketed jointly by India and Israel to the world.

A special flight will be dispatched from Israel soon which will include Israeli military R&D scientists and tech specialists who will work with an Indian team under the Prime Minister’s principal scientific adviser K Vijayaraghavan at AIIMS for about two weeks.

Briefing journalists from Israel, Dani Gold, head of the Directorate of Defence Research and Development, Israeli ministry of defence, said the “breakthrough technologies” that would be tested in India include a voice test, a breathalyser test and an isothermal test. Gold said there was “comprehensive research cooperation between the DDRD and India’s PSA” The Israel embassy said, “A special planned flight from Tel Aviv to New Delhi is set to carry a high ranking

MOD R&D team which has been working with India’s chief scientist and DRDO to develop rapid testing for Covid-19 in under 30 seconds. Merging Israeli technology with Indian and development production capabilities aims to allow a swift resumption of normal life alongside the virus.”

While Israel has a global edge in early stage development of breakthrough technologies and therapeutics, India brings to the table massive data and global manufacturing capability.

PM Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken three times since the outbreak of the pandemic “in which they promised mutual assistance in dealing with the virus and committed to joint

technological and scientific research between the countries”.

The special flight will also include representatives from some Israeli companies chosen by their defence ministry and the Israel Defence Forces and “given unique access to one of the largest economies in the world to provide monitoring and treatment technologies while significantly reducing contact between patients and the medical staff.”

India aims to manufacture these Israeli technologies on a mass scale for the huge Indian demand as well as for third countries.

Israel will also be sending mechanical ventilators for use in Indian hospitals.

India now has over a million Covid-19 patients and ranks third in the world after the US and Brazil.

India goes all out to woo Bhutan with new trade routes India is going all out to thwart China's attempts to wean Bhutan away from India's sphere of influence.

After opening a new trade route last week, India is likely to approve Bhutan's request for another permanent land customs station (LCS) to facilitate more Bhutan exports to India and Bangladesh. India is also considering opening another integrated check post (ICP), sources said.

These initiatives are significant as Bhutan dodges attempts by China to establish formal diplomatic relations with India's only neighbour which is yet to join Beijing's BRI initiative.

The government realises though that Bhutan could still be susceptible mainly because of its border dispute with China which recently saw Beijing making a new territorial claim in Bhutan's east and close to the border with Arunachal Pradesh.

Sources said that while a feasibility study is being carried out for a railway link between Mujnai in West Bengal and Nyoenpaling in Bhutan, Land Ports Authority of India has also identified Jaigaon in West Bengal's Alipurduar district for development of an integrated check post (ICP).

After a request from Bhutan,

India is also considering notifying the Jitti-Nagrakata LCS as a permanent LCS which has until now been a seasonal station for trade in crops like orange, ginger and cardamom.

According to Indian authorities, Bhutan wanted it mainly to facilitate export of boulders and river bed materials to India and

These efforts will further have a positive effect on the trade growth with northeast states," he added.

After a request from Bhutan, India had last week opened an additional trade route under Jaigaon LCS at Ahllay, Pasakha, as a "temporary measure" during the current Covid 19 situation. This new land

Bangladesh. "The Bhutanese exporters are finding it difficult to export these products through the nearest permanent LCS (Loksan-Bhimtar) due to high transportation costs and restriction on load capacity of river bridges en route," said a source, who described Bhutan as India’s closest partner.

"The idea is to positively engage Bhutan and and boost trade through enhanced connectivity.

route for movement of industrial raw materials and goods destined for Pasakha Industrial Estate will boost bilateral trade and commerce and lead to decongestion of vehicular traffic along the Jaigaon Phuentsholing route, the government had said.

There is annual trade worth £600 million between India and Bhutan at JaigaonPhuentsholing border, according to India.

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PM Modi to lay foundation for Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Aug 5 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Ram Temple slated to be built in Ayodhya on August 5. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic and to ensure maximum social distancing at the programme, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra has decided that there will not be more than 200 people, including 150 invitees at the foundation stone laying ceremony.

“We have decided that there will not be more than 200 people including 150 invitees at the event,” Swami Govind Dev Giri, Treasurer the Shri Ram of Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra said. Before laying the foundation stone for the construction of the temple, PM Modi will offer prayers to Lord Ram at the temple and Lord Hanuman at Hanuman Garhi Temple in Ayodhya. Chief ministers from different states will be invited to the programme, Swami Govind Dev said.

In Ayodhya, elaborate preparations are being planned for the three-day

Vedic rituals at the Ram Janmabhoomi site. The rituals will begin on August 3 and end with a ‘bhumi pujan’ on August 5 before the construction of the much awaited temple begins.

Veteran BJP leader and former deputy prime minister LK Advani and other leaders of the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation will also be invited to the ceremony, a Ram Mandir trust member. Kameshwar Chaupal, a member of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra, a trust set up by the Centre to oversee the construction of the temple, said they will invite Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Vinay Katiyar.

“Timings for the foundation stone laying ceremony has been decided according to the Hindu calendar and the most auspicious time (12.15 pm) on August 5, has been selected accordingly,” Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, heir to Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Chairman of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust said.

Vedic rituals for the

‘bhumi pujan’ will begin with a special puja offered to Lord Ganesha. According to Hindu rituals, every auspicious ceremony begins with offerings to Lord Ganesha. Next day, the priests will perform Ramacharya Puja and on the last day August 5 another ‘bhumi pujan’ will be performed, which will be attended by the Prime Minister.

An 11-member team of priests from Varanasi and Ayodhya will perform the three-day rituals. In this entire ceremony, priests from Varanasi, which is the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi, will have a prominent role. PM Modi is likely to remain in the temple town for two hours.

Time capsule to be placed beneath temple site A time capsule containing the history of the Janmabhoomi Ram movement is to be placed beneath the construction site of the temple in Ayodhya.

“The capsule will be lowered 200 feet below the

Five Rafale fighters to arrive in India on Wednesday Finally, the first five Rafale fighters left France on Monday to begin their 7,000-km flight to India, which will include mid-air refuelling and an overnight pit stop in UAE. The three single-seat and two twin seat omni-role fighters, flown by seven IAF pilots led by commanding officer Group Captain Harkirat Singh, will touch down in Ambala to launch the 17 `Golden Arrows’ squadron on Wednesday. “After India’s ambassador Jawed Ashraf flagged off the five Rafales from the Merignac airbase in Bordeaux (France), they landed at the Al Dhafra airbase in UAE on Monday evening after flying for over seven hours,” said an IAF officer.

The imminent arrival of the five Rafales, out of the 36 contracted from France in the £5.9 billion deal inked in September 2016, comes two decades after IAF first demanded such fighters, and an intense BJP-Congress political dogfight over corruption allegations in the last couple of years. The fighters, dubbed “game-changers” by IAF, will of course touch down here bang in the middle of the ongoing military confrontation with China. But top IAF sources said that new fighters take time to settle down and be properly integrated into the entire warfighting machinery.

“No new weapon system, especially complex ones like fighters, can be deployed just like that. First the fighters have to be extensively flown in Indian conditions to develop tactics and other operational procedures,” said a source. The new weapon, in effect, takes time to be weaponised.

Moreover, the five Rafales do not constitute even half a squadron as of now. IAF has already deployed an adequate number of Sukhoi-30MKIs, MiG-29s and Mirage-2000s in forward areas along the Line of Actual Control with China to take care of any contingency. “But yes, the effort will be to make the Rafales operational as fast as possible due to the border situation with China. It will probably take at least two months,” he added, in the backdrop of the

surface to ensure that there are no disputes in future,” Chaupal said.

“The time capsule will be buried along with the foundation of the Ram mandir,” Chaupal said, adding “200 feet is the depth of the foundation”.

“It will also contain the complete history of Ayodhya and detailed life of Lord Rama written in Sanskrit on ‘tamra patras (copper plates)’ in the Sanskrit language,” Chaupal said. When asked why the copper plates would be inscribed in only Sanskrit, he said it was a language in which one could write long sentences in very few words.

“The struggle for Ram Janmabhoomi, including the long-drawn case in the Supreme Court, has a lesson for the current and upcoming generations. The time capsule will be placed so that in future anyone who wishes to study the history of the temple, he’ll get the facts related to Ram Janmabhoomi so that no new controversy can arise,” Chaupal said.The Ram Janmabhoomi time capsule has brought back memories of the “Kaalpatra”, a time capsule reportedly narrating the achievement of the first 25 years of India after Independence, which was

buried in the Red Fort complex on August 15, 1973 by the then PM Indira Gandhi. Although the time period set for the capsule was 1,000 years, the Janata Party government dug it out after coming to power in 1977. The content of the “Kaalpatra”, however, was never made public.

Avoid live telecast of pujan: CPI MP Communist Party of India MP Binoy Viswam wrote to information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar and sought his intervention to “avoid” the proposed live telecast of the Ram temple bhoomi pujan scheduled on August 5. Biswam, a Rajya Sabha MP, argued in his letter that the use of Doordarshan to telecast a religious function would be against “accepted norms of national integrity”. PM Modi and several others are

expected to participate in the foundation stone-laying ceremony.

Pawar questions urgency Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar has questioned the urgency of constructing the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“The eradication of Covid-19 is the priority of the Maharashtra government but some people think constructing a temple will help in its mitigation,” the 80-year old leader said while interacting with reporters in Solapur.

He suggested that the Union government should focus on reviving the economy instead of constructing the temple. Pawar’s opposition to Ram temple is not new.

His jibe at Modi came on July 19, a fortnight after he praised the PM for his stand on the Galwan valley standoff with China.

Indian Army getting ready for harsh Ladakh winter military confrontation with China all set to stretch to the winter, or even beyond it.

Once the Rafales, with their `Meteor’ air-to-air missiles (120-150 km strike range), `Scalp’ air-to-ground cruise missiles (over 300 km) and other armaments, are fullyoperational, they will certainly be a force to reckon with. They will be able to outgun and outrun Pakistani F-16 and JF-17 as well as the Chinese Chengdu J-20 fighters. France has till now delivered 10 Rafales to India, with the other five being kept back at Merignac to train additional IAF pilots and technicians over the next nine months. All the 36 Rafales, which can also deliver nuclear weapons, are slated to be delivered by end-2021. The Ambala and Hashimara airbases will house 18 each for the western and eastern fronts.

The Rafales will significantly add to the qualitative and quantitative edge IAF already enjoys over the Chinese air force along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control.

IAF has also projected the operational need to go in for another 36 Rafales in the backdrop of its depleting number of fighter squadrons as well as both Hasimara and Ambala having the requisite infrastructure to house two squadrons each. But that decision is yet to be taken. The Meteor missiles are arguably the best in the world for air combat duels, with “a greater noescape zone” for hostile fighters than any comparable BVR weapon. Pakistan and China do not currently have any missiles of this class in their combat inventories.

Indian Army is stocking up specialised clothing, prefabricated shelters, Arctic tents, fuel and other equipment to sustain itself through the harsh winter of a super high-altitude region like eastern Ladakh since the Chinese troops are yet to disengage from the immediate face-off sites on the north bank of Pangong Tso and Gogra-Hot Springs area in eastern Ladakh. The Army has kicked off the process for this massive logistical exercise to ensure adequate special rations and other supplies for its soldiers to sustain in the harsh winter.

The next stage of deescalation and eventual deinduction of the well over 30,000 troops each amassed by the two sides in the ‘depth areas’ along the 1,597km frontier in eastern Ladakh, along with tanks, artillery guns and other heavy weaponry, is still nowhere on the horizon.

PLA not going anywhere soon A senior officer said, “The People’s Liberation Army is not going anywhere soon. So, we are systematically

preparing for the long haul, with the planning for our logistics and ‘advance winter stocking’ (AWS) underway.”

He added, “We may have to maintain a lot of our troops in the forward areas even during the winter to ensure the PLA cannot exploit the situation.”

are now deployed in the region after the military stand-off with China erupted in early May. The forward locations, most of them over 15,000 feet in altitude, become largely inaccessible and remain cut off from November onwards. The AWS supplies

The AWS, which includes planning, procurement and arranging transportation for supplies, is a long-drawn, complicated yearly exercise to “pre-position and stock supplies” in all forward locations before the onset of winter and snowfall.

The challenge is much more forbidding this time because more than triple the number of normal troops

are carried in truck convoys from the plains of north India through the two road routes to Ladakh from Srinagar via the Zoji La pass and Manali via the Rohtang Pass, which remain open from May to October every year. The air route to Leh from Chandigarh and other places is also used but has its own limitations due to altitude and weather conditions.

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Covid -19 immunity from antibodies may last only months A new paper suggests that after people are infected with the novel coronavirus, their natural immunity to the virus could decline within months. The paper suggests that antibody responses may start to decline 20 to 30 days after Covid -19 symptoms emerge. The study is yet to be published in a peerreviewed medical journal.

Researchers from the UK wrote in the paper, “We show that IgM and IgA binding responses decline from 20-30 days.” The study also found that the severity of Covid-19 symptoms can determine the magnitude of the antibody response.

Researchers of the study collected samples from 65

patients with confirmed Covid-19 up to 94 days after they started showing symptoms and from 31 health care workers who had antibody tests every one to two weeks between March and June.

Lack of immunity to the vaccine is no big news. The World Health Organisation since early on in the pandemic, has warned that people already infected with Covid-19 are not necessarily

immune from getting the virus again. The researchers wrote in the paper, “This study has important implications when considering protection against re-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and the durability of vaccine protection.”

Associate professor in the University of Leeds School of Medicine in the UK, Stephen Griffins released a written statement on the issue. While the paper is yet to be peerreviewed, Griffins said “the importance of this study is clear and the research has been rigorously undertaken.”

“This work confirms that protective antibody responses in those infected

with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid19, appear to wane rapidly.

Whilst longer lasting in those with more severe disease, this is still only a matter of months,” Griffins said.

He added, “Similar short-lived responses are seen against other human coronaviruses that predominantly cause only mild illness, meaning that we can be re-infected as time goes by and outbreaks can adopt seasonality. With the more serious, sometimes fatal, outcomes of SARS-CoV-2, this is troubling indeed.

Vaccines in development will either need to generate stronger and longer lasting protection compared to natural infection, or they may need to be given regularly.”

Longer periods of social distancing alone won't be sufficient: study A report reveals that longer periods of social distancing alone are not sufficient when it comes to slowing Covid-19 spread. Rajan Chakrabarty, co-author of the study from Washington University in St Louis, said, “Conventional wisdom was, the more intense and long-term the social distancing, the more you will curb the disease spread.”

The study, published in the journal Chaos, says any strategy that involves social distancing requires other steps be taken in tandem.

“But that is true if you have social distancing implemented with contact tracing, isolation and testing. Without those, you will

give rise to a second wave,” Chakrabarty said. Another co-author, Payton Beeler noted that if social distancing is the only measure taken, it must be implemented extremely carefully in order for its benefits to be fully realised.

The study used data gathered by Johns Hopkins University between March 18 and 29. Calibrating the model using these data sets allowed the authors to analyse unbiased results that had not yet been affected by large-scale distancing in place. “Had social distancing been implemented earlier, we probably would’ve done a better job,” Chakrabarty said.

A simple routine to achieve the perfect skin Perfect skin is everyone's dream come true, and more often than not, we are mostly just a simple daily routine away from getting it. Every skin type is different, and the earlier you figure out what works best for you, and practise it, the better your relationship with your skin.

Here is a simple morning routine that is over in a couple of minutes, and does not require emptying your pockets over expensive skincare products. Rose and aloe vera.

You read it right! A combination of the two works wonders as a toner, making your skin soft, tones, healthy, and glowing. It also works on sensitive skin to prevent the breakout of acne, and provide relief from inflammation, redness, itchiness and rashes.

Wash a small aloe vera leaf, squeeze out its fresh and clear gel. If you lack the patience or time to do so, you could buy natural aloe vera gels from the market.

Next, take a few fresh rose petals, wash them. Blend both the ingredients until it's a little frothy mix. Put it in a jar or a clean bottle and then store it.

To increase the toner's shelf life, add a couple drops of Vitamin E, or any essential oil of your choice. To apply, clean your face using cold water, then put the toner in a cotton ball and apply gently over the face and the neck. Finish it off with a moisturizer.

The scientists said that over the short-term, more distancing and less hospital demand go hand in hand, adding that this is only up to two weeks. The time spent distancing does not benefit hospital demand after that. The authors of the study said if social dis-

tancing “alone” is to be implemented longer than two weeks, a moderate shut down of somewhere between 50-70 per cent, could be more effective for the society than a stricter complete shut-down in yielding the largest reduction in medical demands.

AIIMS administers first dose of vaccine candidate The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi administered its first dose of Bharat Biotech's vaccine candidate against the novel coronavirus as part of its combined Phase 1 and 2 trials for the drug. The vaccine candidate was administered to a healthy 30 year old man.

One of the investigators of the trial and a professor of community medicine at AIIMS, Dr Puneet Misra, said, “The vaccine candidate was administered to the first trial participant - a healthy 30-year-old man around noon on Friday. He was monitored for two hours to check for any adverse reactions. All trial participants will be monitored every day for the first seven days. They will then be followed-up on day 14 and day 28. They will be tracked for up to a year to observe any long-term impacts.”

The centre has received nearly 3,500 applications for the trials so far, and 100 healthy participants will be enrolled from among them.

Participants have to be between the

ages of 18 and 55 years. They should not have comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, heart or kidney disease. The centres are conducting simultaneous phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials to study the safety and immunogenicity of different doses and adjuvant combinations of the vaccine developed by the biotechnology company, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology.

“Our priority is safety and hence we need healthy participants. Those who are called in for the trial have to undergo a battery of tests to determine their general health. They are tested for a current infection using RT-PCR test and for past infections using an antibody test.

Participants are given the vaccine only if they are free of Covid-19.

For now, we are also selecting participants only from Delhi and the National Capital Region for the ease of follow-ups,” said Dr Misra. The vaccine is currently being administered in two doses - 0.3 and 0.5 microgram.

UK, India to collaborate in anti-microbial resistance research The United Kingdom and India are deepening their existing scientific research collaboration with five new projects worth 8 million pounds to tackle anti-microbial resistance (AMR) that could lead to important advances in the global fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes.

The funding awards were announced by Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, ahead of a virtual visit to India on July 28, according to a statement from British High Commission.

India is a major producer of anti-microbials in the pharmaceutical industry global supply chain, and the research projects aim to develop a better understanding of how waste from anti-microbial manufacturing could be inadvertently fuelling AMR. Subject to clearances, the five projects are planned for September this year. The UK is contributing four million pounds from the UK Research and Innovation Fund for International Collaboration, and India is matching this with its own resources. In total, eight million pounds will be used to fund the research, said the statement.

Ahmad said, "The UK has already partnered with India's Serum Institute to manufacture the vaccine for Covid-19, if clinical trials are successful, with plans to distribute to a billion people across the developing world. But there is more we can do together to tackle urgent global health issues in the world. Our thriving research and innovation partnerships will benefit people in the UK and India, and beyond."

Sir Philip Barton, High Commissioner to India, said, "The UK is India's second-biggest research partner, with joint research expected to be worth 400 million pounds by next year. This huge investment enables us to work closely together on global health challenges such as the search for a Covid -19 vaccine."

"Today's announcement is another demonstration of our excellent research relationship and will strengthen the important fight against anti-microbial resistance," he added. Ahmad will chair a virtual roundtable with senior Indian and UK-based stakeholders on cold-chain technologies that are critical for the effective transport of vaccines, ensuring they successfully reach their final destination, according to the statement.

Other elements of the minister's visit include meeting with Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, V Muraleedharan, to discuss a number of subjects including multilateral cooperation, a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, discussions with regional governments and others on opportunities in wind power and a virtual tour of a UK funded solar plant in Rajasthan.

UK adults spending three hours for self care every day, says survey With the pandemic restricting people's movements, confining them to their houses, the lines between work and leisure have all blurred. However, a recent poll has found that many 'self-aware' adults in the UK are now focusing on 'me-time' which could be lasting up to three hours every day.

Commissioned by Perrigo to mark International SelfCare Day, the survey conducted on some 2,000 adults found that six out of 10 persons were acutely aware of the importance of dedicating time to themselves. One-third of the respondents were found to have developed new self-care habits like exercising more, eating healthier, and taking more care of their skin. It was also found that self-care was a priority for seven out of 10 adults in their daily routines.

Despite this, 50 per cent of people said they were still not able to get as much of self-care time as they would have liked.

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We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement any advice. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

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Composer & singer Kavita Seth on quitting a fulltime job, rejecting popular item songs and independent music Shefali Saxena Many years ago, a young Kavita Seth cycled through the roads of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. She wore white salwar kameez and a colourful dupatta to college and was followed by eve teasers saying that they were alive and that she and her friends didn’t have to sport the color white.

“Nobody in my home knew the abcd of music when I received an award in singing from OP Nayyar,” she said. She trained in music and trained enough to be able to be invited to local radio stations and concerts.

Her parents didn’t approve of her late evening performances at the station or events. She eventually had to cancel at the last moment because no one from her family would agree to accompany her to the evening concerts to perform.

“I was left to my own fate and everything was tied to my marriage when it came to my dreams of pursuing playback singing,” she said.

Her parents found her a suitable groom in an arranged marriage set up, where she took her fiance’s word that he would let her pursue her singing and music career post the wedding. He agreed. They moved to Delhi and she started teaching at Delhi Public School. Her sons were studying in the same school and got a fee waiver as their mother was a member of the teaching faculty. She was also studying music at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya for which she had to use DTC buses to travel, which are infamous for being unsafe for women. Her husband would come to receive her at the bus stop

Kavita Seth

and she wondered that if she could make an entire journey in a DTC bus which was absolutely unsafe, a 500 metre walk home was nothing as compared to the bus ride.

One day, she received an offer to perform in Norway, but the then principal didn’t approve her leave. She also had to sometimes perform her duty as the teacher incharge of a school bus.

This wasn’t the life that she expected and it was holding back her ambition of pursuing her passion for music. Her first offer for a playback came from filmmaker Satish Kaushik.

She couldn’t believe it. It could be a prank or an offer which would vanish the moment she kept her foot in Mumbai. But Kaushik kept his promise, and gave Kavita, her first song, Maula in the film Vaada.

After recording the song, she had a few more hours until she had to board the Rajdhani to Delhi. So she wrote a message for filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt on her card, that it’d be kind of him to meet her at a short notice since she’s in the city and that she had a train in about four hours. Mahesh Bhatt’s office received it and

the filmmaker left an ongoing meeting to interact with Kavita. They came back to Delhi.

Months later, Bhatt gave her the song Mujhe mat roko in his film, Gangster. After that, Kavita realised that Mumbai was the place to be and that her presence in the city was imperative to get more work. So she spoke to her husband, resigned from the school and reached Mumbai with her sons while the couple worked out the logistics.

Kavita Seth’s rendition of the song Iktara in Ayaan Mukherjee’s Wake Up Sid is an integral part of many young persons who travel to new cities and strive to settle down amid cultural shock, while juggling with personal and work life.

Eleven years later, fans still walk up to Kavita, identifying her as the voice behind the song of the millennials. She still ends or begins almost every concert of hers with this song. In an hour-long conversation with Kavita on a Friday afternoon, she told us the above story of how she came to Mumbai.

We spoke about her selective taste in giving playback for Hindi songs and her latest album as a composer & singer for Mira Nair’s adaptation of Vikram Seth’s novel, A Suitable Boy. When asked about her favourite composer in the industry, she promptly named Vishal Bharadwaj. She reminisced about recording Tum Hi Ho Bandhu (which was originally written for singer Shubha Mudgal) and not telling anyone at home that she had recorded it. “Amit Trivedi called me and expressed his astonishment and happiness over the fact that I had sung a song that was a bit of a departure from

Daagh Dehelvi and Muddat when she was doubtful of my regular work and that the hui hai yaar ko by Mirza one of the songs and I playback and visuals were Ghalib for Mira’s drama quickly improvised the tune synchronized well,” she said. series. Her son Kanishk there and then. She also Kavita added, “I’m very helps her in recording and brought Tabu to the selective in the songs I sing. editing. Kavita is fully up to recordings so that she could You can see that the list of date with the number of learn the gestures and my renditions is not too streams on her songs across understand the essence of long. I read the lyrics first, platforms and fondly the ghazals she was that’s paramount. If that remembers and continues to supposed to perform in the works for me, then I proceed credit her husband for his series.” Seth has recorded with the song. Good support. famous ghazals like Dil-eproducers and music Looking back, Seth nadaan tujhe hua kya hai by directors give me fifteen to thanks her stars that she Mirza Ghalib, Lutf woh ishq twenty five days to prepare never made it to the concert mein paaye hain k jee jaanta for a song and I’ve been able in Norway and took the hai - Dagh Dehelvi, Mehfil to do justice to them.” She audacious step of quitting a Barkhaast Hui - Ameer refused to sing many item stable full time job and Menai, Marsiya - Syed Zia songs post Cocktail, like moving to Mumbai.

Alvi, Na ravaa kahiye Hookah Bar because the lyrics didn’t appeal to her.

She told Himmesh Reshammiya that she’d be happy to give an alaap but won’t be able to give playback for the entire song.

Kavita is not oblivious toward the politics of the music industry. “I do not like to spend money on my songs overnight to hit a million or two. I keep it organic as long as it is in my hands.

My songs have over half a million streams on Spotify as well,” she said. She affirms that she has been extremely picky all these years and that’s the reason why people don’t offer her random songs anymore because they know she won’t take up the project unless the work is Message boards in cinemas around Leicester Square meaningful. She’s been running her own series of music videos and been composing a lot lately.

Seth said, “Mira had been following my work for over two years until she stumbled upon a song that she realised I had also composed. That’s how she came to me to work on the ghazals used in A Suitable Boy. She was astonished during our recordings,

Let’s talk about ‘Grief Etiquette’

What we can learn from this pandemic, or, perhaps what we better learn is how to let others grieve if they have lost someone dear during these testing times. Due to Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing, many could not make it to funerals, not even the immediate family members. Covid-19 or not, if you know someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one here’s what you can do:

Do not spam with missed calls and messages: Drop a message expressing your condolences and a reassurance that you’re around for any help they need during these times. Call them once and speak with kindness and integrity. If they do not answer, don’t call again for a while. Wait for them to revert or understand that they might simply not be in a mental state to talk. Respect their privacy.

Do not forward random messages to them: This is a part of everyday digital etiquette. You can go without forwarding memes, political theories and gossip for a few days.

Remember, people take time and have their own ways to cope with a loss of a loved one. Some are resilient, some aren’t. If you see them online on social media or messengers, they might not be free, they could be talking to relatives or people who matter to them more than you do. Do not start calling the moment you see them online.

Respect their privacy.

If you are not good at expressing condolence, do not push: Not everyone is crafted to sympathise with someone’s emotional loss. And that’s absolutely acceptable.

It’s better not to say anything, than to say something foolish and further bruise someone who is already in emotional pain. Respect their privacy.

Order food for them or leave some home food at their door-step: When someone dies, many families do not use their kitchen due to religious rituals. Some, who may not believe or practice these rituals, may anyway go without cooking for a few days because their appetite falls to zero due to emotional shock.

Cooking for them or providing food is also a way of expressing concern.

Do that without expecting them to entertain you because you cared to cook and respect their privacy.

Respect their privacy: This etiquette cannot be emphasised enough. Let people take their time to grieve. No one undergoing a human loss wakes up the next day to foot tapping music and excitement to hit the streets.

Book Recommendation A Year of Cooking Like Mummyji: Real British Asian Cooking for all Seasons by Vicky Bhogal Spring recipes include South Indian Vegetables and Lentils in a Sweet and Hot Sauce; Saffron and Pistachio Rasmalai; Sweet Dosa with Raspberry and Blueberry Mascarpone; Chilli Cheese Paratha; and Raspberry Sharbat. Summer recipes include Green Masala Roast Chicken Breasts; Corn Cobettes; Hot Fruit Chaat; Gujarati Savoury Sponge; Kachumbar; and Rooh Afza. Autumn recipes include Black Pepper and Fresh Coriander Lamb; Gobi ki Sabji; Zeera Chaul; Mini Pickling Spice-Stuffed Aubergine Bake; Sweet Boondi; and Coconut and Pistachio Barfi. Winter recipes include Mulicoloured Pepper Lamb; Karahi Chicken; Mini Cranberry Tikia; Spicy Sprouts with Cumin and Mango; Coconut Rose Barfi with Sugared Rose Petals; and Mini Black Forest Samose.

After months of quarantine cooking, it won’t be bad to continue home cooking with a cookbook like this one that retains the quintessential Asian flavours. The book is available on Amazon.

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Priyanka completes 20 years in entertainment business Actress Priyanka Chopra recently celebrated 20 years in the entertainment business. To celebrate the milestone, she kicked off her list of 20 most monumental moments in life.

Sharing the first video in the series '20in2000', she went down memory lane recalling and sharing interesting stories from 2000 when she won Miss India.

She wrote, “Femina Miss India, 2000 Alright guys, we're doing this! I'm watching footage from my Miss India pageant in 2000! This is where it all began... If you've never seen these before, you are in

for quite a treat. #20in2020 @missindiaorg.”

Priyanka was 18 when she was crowned Miss India. In the video, she looked back at her winning moment.

PeeCee revealed she never expected to win. “I never expected to win. I was not supposed to. I had a train booked and I was supposed to go back and give my board exams and I had a crown on my head. It's been 20 years and I haven't looked back up until now. These videos are nuts!”

Kangana admits never met Sushant, but they were 'really close' Actor Kangana Ranaut admits that she has never met late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, but insists she feels connected to him in an abstract way. Ever since Sushant died on June 14, Kangana has been more vocally aggressive in speaking out against nepotism in the film industry. In an interview with a media, she said, “Sushant and I, we never really crossed paths. But we were always really close, you know.”

She added he might have attended one of her birthday parties, but she didn't speak to him.

Kangana said she has worked with Rajput's former girlfriend Ankita Lokhande. She also said that her 'Manikarnika' producer Kamal Jain worked with the actor on the 'MS Dhoni' biopic and would tell her that she and him were a lot like each other.

“Every now and then, he used to talk about Sushant. When I was learning horse riding, he used to say that he organised the training for Sushant also. There was some kind of connection, but nothing direct.”

Kangana said, “See, I don't want to be standing on some high ground and be like, I always knew Sushant.

No, I did not. And to be honest, when I would read these blinds after blinds, news after news that he is a rapist, he is a sex addict, he is doing drugs, he is beating up his directors, I remember thinking vaguely 'What is up with this boy?

He needs to get control of his life'.”

Farhan Akhtar's 'Hello Charlie', 'Dongri To Dubai' resume shoot

Harsh Varrdhan against resuming work without proper health protocols With the film industry taking a massive hit due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, theatres continue to remain shut.

While theatre owners have been working towards formulating strategies that would be implemented once they get the green light to operate, actor Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor believes “slow and steady” is the way to move about things.

He said, “It's not cheap to run cinemas, so they've to open up at some point with safety measures in place and

with implementation of social distancing and regular sanitisation of the premises. But I hope they know what they're doing and that it's well thought out. I hope that they're not desperate to start without having mapped out a proper health protocol, which they should be capable of executing.”

Kapoor added, “This is a good opportunity in my opinion for producers to renegotiate profit sharing deals they have with cinemas. For a very long time, those ratios have been unfair.”

As the industry continues to remain marred with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar's Excel Entertainment has resumed shooting for their upcoming two movies 'Hello Charlie' and 'Dongri to Dubai'.

Makers of the movie shot with a unit of about 150 members as they executed the schedule in accordance with the guidelines for risk protection against contagion of Covid-19 during filming. The days were divided between 'Hello Charlie' and 'Dongri to Dubai'.

Sidhwani said, “We are back to doing what we love the most – making movies, with the people we love the most- our cast and crew! #MasksDistanceAction @farotakhtar @excelmovies.” Farhan also took to his social media handle to say, “Getting back to work is a relief and a joy but given the times we're in, it's important to be socially responsible and keep the environment hygienic for the crew and cast. They work to create. We work to keep them safe. #MasksDistanceAction @excelmovies.”

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Sara shares special post dedicated to father Saif, Sushant Actor Sara Ali Khan recently shared a special post dedicated to her father Saif Ali Khan, and the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Sushant's last movie had an OTT release on Friday. Both Saif and Sushant worked together for the first time in 'Dil Bechara'. Listing all the things both the actors had in common, Sara wrote, “The only two gentlemen that have spoken to me about Sartre, Van Gogh, telescopes and constellations, guitars, The Northern Lights, cricket, Pink Floyd, Nusrat Saab and acting techniques. This is to the last thing you two have in common- #DilBechara Now on Disney Hotstar.”

She shared a picture of Sushant and Saif with the film's female lead Sanjana Sanghi and director Mukesh Chhabra. Several actors paid tribute to Sushant's film that was released posthumously.

Anurag Kashyap explains nepotism using Tiger Shroff, Taimur Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has claimed that one of the reasons nepotism exists is because it is “what you the audience wants to see”. Sharing a news article on Tiger Shroff and Taimur Ali Khan, he wrote, “This is nepotism by the media ..?

Why?? Because this is what you the audience wants to see .. So isn't it nepotism by you the audience too??”

However, Tiger's mother jumped in

on the statement and told Basu not to use her son's example. Replying to Basu's tweet she claimed Tiger is in the industry solely because of his hard work. She wrote, “Yo! Don't involve my kid in this!! he's here on his own hard work entirely.”

Earlier this month, Tiger had weighed in on the nepotism debate and said star kids get attention more easily, but they also have to work harder to

establish themselves as stars in their own right. He had said, “Being my father’s son, there’s an added pressure of being a star’s son. People think it’s very easy for us. I won’t lie, in a way to get a little attention it helps. It’s easier for people who are from the film industry but it’s double the effort to make it on our own. I managed to get out of my father’s shadow.”

Sayani Gupta speaks out on mental health, says actors exploit their emotions Actor Sayani Gupta spoke out on mental health recently, warning that one must be extremely cautious now more than ever. The 'Four More Shots Please!' actor said it's pertinent for actors to do active work to come back to a centre or equilibrium.

“When it comes to actors, we exploit our emotions through, and for the work we do. We’re in the business of emotions. It might seem easy from the outside but actors are constantly exploiting and playing with their emotions in order to play characters and hit different emotional notes. The better one can mould his/her emotions, the better he/she is as an actor,” Gupta stated.

She added, “It’s important to cleanse our soul and inside almost like oiling the machinery. We don’t give it enough importance because it comes easily. But, a lot of self work in retaining your sanity in the long run, requires you to start the work early on. This definitely means that we need to protect and preserve the well-being of our mind just like we look after our physical well-being.”

Gupta suggested film schools and acting classes should

teach meditation and the work of calming the mind.

Talking about Sushant Singh Rajput's death, she said, “This incident has come as a huge jolt and a huge heartbreak and as a community we need to look out for one another and help and champion each other through our respective journeys.”

Genre: Coming of Age Romantic Drama Duration: 101 minutes

An undeniably beautiful film When two cancer patients meet and have so much in common sparks are bound to fly.

Kizie (Sanjana Sanghi) has thyroid cancer and meets Manny (Sushant Singh Rajput) who previously had osteosarcoma but is in remission. In the mix there is also Manny’s friend JP (Sahil Vaid) who is suffering from glaucoma and the two of them are making a film together and ask Kizie if she would like to star in it.

Kizie and Manny share a fondness for Rajnikanth and music and they form a bond thanks to this. There is one song in particular that really plays on their mind and that is the incomplete track by Abhimanyu Veer.

Manny tells Kizie he has managed to track down Veer and Kizie decides to email him, much to their surprise they receive a reply inviting them to Paris. They manage to convince their parents to let them travel, however, Kizie’s health deteriorates and she is hospitalised.

After Kizie is out of hospital they finally make the decision to go to Paris but are very disappointed when they meet Veer as he had no answers for them.

Kizie is very upset and more so when she learns that Manny’s cancer has returned and is now terminal.

As his health gets worse, Kizie insists they should finish the film they started. Manny invites them to his mock funeral where Kizie and JP are asked to read the eulogies that they have written. Soon after Manny passes away, he leaves a letter for Kizie saying he finished Veer’s song with Veer's help. JP’s film is released in an open air theatre and it pays tribute to their friend Manny.

With so many of the characters in the film suffering from cancer we know that this film is going to end in tragedy but 'Dil Bechara' is so much more than that, it actually shows you how you should live life to the fullest.

This is the perfect tribute to Sushant Singh Rajput who ended his life earlier in the year. The music composed by A R Rahman really does bring the whole film together with some beautiful lyrics penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The title song was shot in the picturesque city of Paris and works so well with the lyrics of the song.

Sushant Singh Rajput’s final film is definitely tear jerker in all aspects worth watching.

You can get in touch with Vallisa: djvallisa@gmail.com

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Sameera Reddy's latest video against body shaming goes viral!

Actress Sameera Reddy was a heartthrob for many youngsters during the early 2000’s. She made her Kollywood debut in Suriya’s ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’, which went on to become a superhit. Her performance in the movie was loved by all. The actress got married in 2014 and since then, she hasn’t acted in any movies. She is also a mother of two children. She has now posted a video on her Instagram, talking about body shaming and

Nivin Pauly's 'Moothon' to premiere on ZEE5 Filmmaker Geetu Mohandas' Malayalam-Hindi bilingual movie 'Moothon' has been streamed on ZEE5 from July 24. The film, which features ace actor Nivin Pauly in the lead, revolves around a 14 year old who travels to Mumbai from Lakshadweep in search of his elder brother but gets trapped in the underbelly of the city.

Nivin took to social media to share a poster of the film. He wrote.

“Moothon premiering on #Zee5! Don't miss it!” The film is co-produced

by Anurag Kashyap, who has also written the Hindi dialogues of the film.

Nivin also announced the film has been selected for the New York Indian Film Festival, and nominated across four categories- best film, best director, best actor, and best child actor.

'Moothon' is Geetu's second feature, after 2014's 'Liar's Dice'- India's official entry to the Oscars.

how she fought her way against it.

Her caption read “I had a message form a mom who says she feels ‘fat’ ‘ugly’ and ‘not beautiful’ with her post baby fat . She said she looked at me and felt dejected . OMG!!! So here are my morning swelly eyes . No tricks no makeup just me owning it!

And I’m hoping that this enforces a positive spin on our own expectations of ourselves.”

“I feel coming back to the public view in a way that I feel no pressure for my own mental health has helped me stay focused on being a good mother and a person who is self accepting that makes it a healthier space for all around me . Don’t dwell on what you are not and what you don’t have ! Let’s focus on the good we are all #imperfectlyperfect #loveyourself #justthewayyouare #keepingitreal” (sic)

Actor Aishwarya Arjun tests positive for Covid-19 Tamil actor Aishwarya Arjun has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. She announced the news on Instagram, stating, “I have recently been tested positive for Covid-19. I am quarantined at home while taking all necessary precautions guided by a professional medical team. To anyone who has been in contact with me in the past few days, please take care.”

The daughter of veteran actor Arjun Sarja, Aishwarya made her acting debut a few years ago with Tamil film 'Pattathu Yaanai', and was last seen in Kannada film 'Prema Baraha'. Just last week, her cousin and actor Dhruva Sarja and his wife tested positive for the virus.

TV Listing

Suriya turns 45, celebrities shower him with best wishes Actor Suriya recently celebrated his 45th birthday, and the industry collectively poured in with best wishes. One of the most bankable stars in the Tamil film industry, the actor's rise to the top wasn't exactly that easy. Suriya's career was initially marred with mediocre movies. He, however, delivered some noteworthy performances with films like 'Nandha', 'Pithamagan', and 'Kaakha Kaakha'.

With a career spanning over two decades, Suriya has 37 films to his credit.

He currently awaits the release of 'Soorarai Pottru'.

He also has Vetrimaaran's 'Vaadivasal' in the works. The movie will mark Suriya's maiden collaboration with the director, who has so far only been working with Dhanush.

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NAATI PINKY KI LAMBI LOVE STORY PAVITRA BHAGYAA

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MON 3 AUG FRI 7 AUG 2020 8:00: TERE NAAL ISHQ 8:30: BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 15:30: JAI SHRI KRISHNA 16:00: DHARAM THI GUJARATI 16:30: RASOI SHOW 17:30: CHHUTA CHHEDA 18:00: TUM KAUN PIYA 18:30: DIL KA RISHTA 19:00: MERE HUMRAHI

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IPL to start in UAE from Sept 19, details to be finalised soon The Indian Premier League’s (IPL) governing council (GC) is all set to meet on Saturday via teleconference, followed by a meeting with their primary stakeholders – franchise owners, broadcasters and central sponsors – on Sunday and Monday. The meetings will chart out the “final plan” for the tournament to be played in UAE starting from September 19.

As the franchise owners raised many questions, the governing council in a statement said, “in all these years of IPL, the responsibility of accommodation, hospitality, travel etc – during the IPL – has been the responsibility of the team owners. Nothing is going to change this year. The only change will be in the SOPs with regards to Covid,” GC chairman Brijesh Patel said, also confirming the dates for the meetings.

Bio-secure bubble: Strict protocols being put in place.

Each franchise will create its

own bubble in which the team will only be interacting with the limited number of people in their ecosystem or allotted to them by BCCI. A similar bubble will be created for BCCI and the IMG staff, broadcasters etc. Nobody will be allowed to interact with individuals outside their bubble except through preappointed coordinators.

Revenue pools: Since all 60 matches of IPL are being played in 51 days, there will be no change in distribution of BCCI’s central revenue pool.

Gate money: If the IPL wouldn’t have happened,

franchises wouldn’t be looking at any income. Letting go of gate money, the board says, is “pittance”.

Travel & accommodation: Franchises will have to figure their own travel arrangements and accommodation in UAE. BCCI will coordinate with UAE authorities to ensure “discounted hotel rates” and share it with the franchises. It will then be the franchise’s discretion to settle for options provided by BCCI or make their own arrangements.

Franchises will fly their players to UAE and back, as is the case during IPL in India

every year.

Medical assistance: Franchises will arrange for their own medical teams and the BCCI will arrange a central medical team. Once players & support staff land in UAE, the onus of testing will be on the franchises, who will in turn coordinate with BCCI’s medical team on a 24x7 basis.

Each franchise’s medical team will stay with their respective teams within the security bubble.

Player replacement & loaning: There will be no change in the player policy and the franchises will be free to travel with extra players so as to avoid last-minute travels.

The board and GC are working on thorough details to prepare a draft on these policies that will be discussed at Saturday’s meeting and then be shared with the franchises. “Once we share what we do with the franchises, we know there will be questions. We need to be thoroughly prepared,” says Patel.

in brief SC TO HEAR GANGULY, SHAH PLEA AFTER 2 WEEKS The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea by the BCCI to alter its constitution after two weeks, thus enabling president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah to continue in the top two posts in the board instead of quitting to serve their mandatory cooling-off periods. The Bench was led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde and L Nageswara Rao. Ganguly and Shah were elected unopposed as office-bearers last October. Shah's tenure ended in May, while Ganguly's term ended on July 27. As per the present BCCI constitution, Shah and Ganguly is supposed to quit. However, at the BCCI’s 88th Annual General Meeting (SGM) in December last year, the members unanimously agreed that Ganguly and his team should serve a full six years at the BCCI. As per BCCI’s constitution, any extension of the office-bearers’ tenure must be approved by the SC.

SAI EXTENDS CONTRACT OF 32 FOREIGN COACHES The Sports Authority of India (SAI) extended the contract of 32 foreign coaches in 11 disciplines till 2021 September to ensure continuity in the training of athletes till Tokyo Olympics. Top coaches among the 32 included Santiago Nieva and Raffaele Bergamasco in boxing, Graham Reid (men’s hockey) and Pavel Smirnov (shooting) among others. The contracts of many of these coaches were to end in September this year.

National football coach Igor Stimac’s contract was also extended. He was appointed in May last year for a twoyear tenure.

ICC launches ODI Super League for ’23 WC spots

CHINA’S STATE TV DEMOTES EPL AMID SPAT WITH BRITAIN

The International Cricket Council (ICC) launched the ODI Super League, a qualifier for the 2023 World Cup in India that aims to add context to the 50-over format. Hosts India and the next top seven teams in the Super League will automatically qualify for the World Cup, the world body stated in a press release.

China’s state television broadcaster is relegating English Premier League football matches from its main sports channel to one that attracts fewer viewers, a sign the lucrative world of professional soccer is being ensnared in the fraught relations between Beijing and the UK. CCTV, which has the rights to broadcast Premier League matches in China, didn’t air a match between Liverpool and Chelsea on its main sports channel, CCTV-5, as planned, said a person familiar with the decision. The match was shifted to CCTV-5+, a channel regarded as broadcaster’s secondary sports offering.

The competition begins with a series between world champions England and Ireland, beginning at Southampton on July 30. The rest of the schedule will be unveiled later.

“The league will bring

relevance and context to ODI cricket over the next three years, as qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is at stake,” ICC’s GM Operation Geoff Allardice said. With T20 cricket thriving and Tests remaining the ultimate challenge, former players such as Ricky Ponting have questioned the relevance of ODIs. Featuring 13 teams, the 12 ICC Full Members and the Netherlands, who qualified by winning the World Cricket Super League 2015-17, the Super League will see each side play four home and four away three-match series. The

five sides which fail to qualify directly will play along with five Associate sides in the Qualifier 2023, with two teams making it to the 10-team World Cup in India.

“The decision last week to move the World Cup back to late 2023 gives us more time to schedule any games lost due to Covid-19 and preserve the integrity of the qualification process, meaning it will be decided on the field of play, which is important,” Allardice said.

Each team gets 10 points for a win, five for a tie/no result/abandonment and none for a loss. Teams will be ranked according to total points earned across the eight series. There are criteria in place to separate two or more teams on equal points.

Cricketers start training without standard operation procedures The Indian cricket board (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly had written to the state associations on June 10 that standard operation procedures (SOPs) for resumption will be shared in a couple of weeks. It’s been over 40 days and the SOPs haven’t been shared. It has now emerged that the BCCI is now focusing on preparing an IPLoriented SOP after ICC T20 World Cup has been postponed for a year.

IPL will now be played in UAE. But there’s unease among Indian cricket’s crucial stakeholders (including players) over BCCI delaying the SOPs so far. The delay has eaten into preparation time, triggering anxiety among the

cricketers. The IPL franchises also believe they could have got a head start if the SOPs were in place. They are hoping for three weeks time in UAE before the tournament starts.

In comparison, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) had released SOPs for federation way back on May 14.

In the past fortnight, cricketers (both Team India and domestic) have arranged their own training sessions.

The likes of Mohammad Shami, Suresh Raina, Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav have been training together. While BCCI, on its part, had declared that the players could start training at their local facilities, there were no specific guidelines for a practice session. Amateur cricketers and young academy players have also joined these sessions.

“The players are frustrated sitting idle in their homes. They have waited long enough and BCCI’s intended camp is being pushed back.

The players were always aware that IPL would happen

this year. They had to get back to playing cricket. They are taking basic precautions but there is no one to monitor it,” a senior cricketer said. “These are not very technical sessions. These are more about getting the feel of the bat and ball. The players are playing with whatever equipment and facility is available to them,” he added.

The IPL franchises are also aware that the players need time to get match-ready besides narrowing down on the logistics. “The franchises have been told that BCCI would come up with SOPs very specific to the league.

The franchises are expecting some clarity soon. The teams have been in touch with the players.”

SANGAKKARA NOW WELCOMES QUESTIONING Last month a controversy had erupted in Sri Lanka, over the questioning of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene over the allegations raised by former sports minister Kumar Sangakkara Mahindananda Aluthgamage, that the 2011 World Cup final was fixed. Also the police summoned then selector Aravinda de Silva. This particular act was met by protests on streets by the supporters of these cricketers. But Sangakkara has now revealed that the questioning could be 'healthy' for the game. “It is disappointing and also a bit amusing at times. And we had that recently when the ex-sports minister did quite a frivolous claim and we had to go in and answer questions,” Sangakkara was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. “Actually, to go through and answer those questions, and making those statements was really really healthy for the game, whether it was me, the selectors, Mahela or anyone else. I think that process is really important for people to understand what respect for the game means,” Sangakkara said. “The game of cricket needs people of integrity and people who are not afraid to speak their minds,” he added.

“And also when you have any questions to be answered, you don’t need to hide, you can answer any of those. When it comes to politics, when you have politically and morally corrupt individuals, who are affiliated with the sport even in an official capacity, you understand where all this comes from and you don’t have to be afraid to second guess what their motivations are,” Sangakkara further said.